Bramble View
by RauWerner
Summary: *UPDATE: I ran the story in it's entirety through openoffice spellcheck and saw a horrible amount  of spelling/punctuation errors. Hopefully I got them all. Separated chapters 9 and 10 this time around. I feel like an idiot. It was .txt format initially
1. Chapter 1

This story is quite a different take on the Pokegirls universe. All who have read up on them know that there will always be abuse. But where there are darkened shadows, there is the light that casts them. In this story, that light comes along in the form of Mr. Todd Moore Sorensen, A moderate expert at Pokegirl psychological treatment, care and therapy through various non-invasive methods. In short he is a shrink for Pokegirls that runs something akin to a mental institution for the use of taking abused and wronged Pokegirls and rehabilitating them for release back into society. However the good doctor has a lot of problems with lax security and successful escape attempts, so much so that he has tried several times to hire on new employees for help with this issue but unfortunately it's caused a bad reputation, which is now turning into a vicious cycle of less income for much-needed updates and security features. Fortunately for his much at stake reputation, help is about to arrive...

Chapter 1: File 13.

As Dr. Sorensen stared at the next-to-last applicant for the day, he began to wonder if anyone with any real qualifications would make an attempt to get the open job offer. The man obviously was in this to make a quick buck more than anything, mainly because the good Dr. could feel the man's emotions due to his strong psychic family traits. You might say it's why he had chosen this profession. But as he read over the extremely short resume of a few paragraphs of information, his face turned to a frown.

"Sir, I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn you down for the job, you simply don't have the right essentials necessary for this job... Besides, we both know what you're really here for, and don't attempt to lie, I didn't get where I am for nothing." Todd said to the youth in the chair in front of him. The kid's face turned to a scowl as he said,

"Well fuck you too buddy, that's a helluva note... You can just go to hell then you penny pinching bastard, you just lost out!" The young man said getting up roughly to go.

"Well at least you're properly qualified for possibly shoveling manure somewhere in a field, assuming you don't wallow in it first... Get the hell out of my office, you little quiff." He said, suddenly catching himself from the sudden anger. Dr. Sorenson has a problem with his ability however, as it eventually causes him to feel the same emotions after a time with other varying factors. The man slammed the door behind him, knocking a few items off of a nearby shelf and Todd sighed heavily in aggravation.

"14 years... 14 years I've put into this place... This can't be happening..." He said, the anger ebbing into the usual depression. Suddenly he remembered the last applicant, and got up to call them in to his office. However when he went out of his office, the bench was entirely empty save for a sticky note, with the words, 'brb 15 min.'

"I guess I can wait... It's not like I've anything to lose, for now... I'll give him time to show up again." He thought aloud. He went back into his office to work on some of the desperate for attention paperwork and bills, putting some of his favorite music on the stereo system; an old Pre-Sukebe group called 'Linkin Park.' He soon lost track of time and didn't expect the door to be knocked in the time of what had seemed like just starting on the financial papers. His eyes glanced over at the clock on his wall that showed the exact amount of time said on the note had passed.

"Come in, it's not locked..." Todd called out as an odd-looking young man came in, laden down with all sorts of electronic equipment strapped to his person. The most notable feature though were his eyes. The left was a regular natural brown, while the right was wildly different. It had the look of a focusing lens for a camera, even to where it was colored a digital green with the veins formed in a cybernetic pattern.

"Please, have a seat... Mr. Nic Tompson, was it? You certainly have the most unique resume of all, but I can't quite figure it out..." Todd said in a confused manner.

"Whaddya mean unique? I just thought I should list my qualifications, but I probably should've only wrote a few of'em, that musta been a heckuva read for you... Sorry about that by the way." Nic apologized.

"Oh, no need... My question though is this; Are you certain this is all accurate? Forgive me if I sound rude but none of the other applicants had very good resumes, let alone decent attitudes about the idea behind the job itself, so I'm just a tad gun shy as it were." Todd explained.

"Yeh, I know how that's gotta sound, about the ability to interface with computers, but... Say, you gotta camera? Like a closed circuit security or somethin'? I'll show you what I mean." Nic said with a grin.

"Well, we don't have the best security around here but there are a few cameras, there's one up there in the corner of my office, in fact..." Todd said, pointing to it.

"Alright, I'll close my eyes and tell you what you're doin'... Heck, I'll even turn away from you so you're sure I can't see you with these eyes." Nic said with that same smile, doing exactly as he said he would. At first Todd noticed one thing about the camera, in that its sweeping side-to-side motion halted and began looking straight at him. He then got up to take a closer look at it, throwing a glance over his shoulder to make sure his possible applicant wasn't peeking. He then got back behind him and said,

"How many fingers?" He questioned holding up nothing but his gaze to the camera.

"I could tell ya if you'd put some up, and don't use your middle one cause you don't wanna be rude, do ya?" Nic said with his head slightly down and eyes still closed, facing completely away from anything that might have given him a hint.

"Alright, one more thing before I decide... How many stacks of paper on my desk after I rearrange them in just a moment?" Todd said, making two neat stacks along with a smaller third.

"2 Big ones and a small third pile... Is there a point to this?" Nic asked honestly. Todd seemed to think for a moment before saying anything.

"Alright... I guess I've nothing to lose... If I hire you, do you know anything about security systems? That was the main point of the job description, we have a real issue with that here, you know..." Todd said hopefully.

"Well I wouldn't be here otherwise and besides, these girls need all the help they can get... Personally I think you're doin' the world and society itself a favor and a service." Nic said in a serious tone.

"Well I appreciate that but flattery wasn't in the job description... So you're saying you used to work in high-security areas? Of what type?" Todd inquired.

"Mainly for freelance stuff, like actual designs and cost-effective stuff... In fact some of my best work was once trashed material, But I can personally guarantee what I make works." Nic said quickly, seeing the look on his possible Boss' face.

"Alright... I'll hire you, but bear in mind the job though little in terms of monetary gain has it's own benefits, one that lasts longer than any kind of currency... Are you still sure you want the job knowing all this?" Todd said, going out on a limb and praying he wouldn't say 'no.'

"If I wanted to get rich I'd go to the slot league... I'm in this for the same reason you are, and to help out wherever life calls for it... You just happened to be in the phone book o' life it seems." Nic stated in that same serious tone.

"Alright, your first job is to do with these other resumes as you see fit, by which I mean disposal of... You know, File #13 and all that." Todd said as His new hiree took out a small joint and lit it, placing his feet on the desk and sweeping all the now useless application papers into the large waste bin next to Todd's desk, tossing the still lit match into it along with the papers sending up a plume of flames shortly after.

"Unorthodox, but... rather effective... At least the can is metal... After this is done I'll show you around the complex and have you make a list of what's to be done about all the security holes, sound good?" Todd said, opening a window to let the smoke from the trash out.

"Sure, just gotta finish this, don't know if you've got any cases that would react bad to this stuff." Said Nic, puffing calmly on his smoke. One thing was for sure, this was the beginning of an odd staff/patient relationship.  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The tour and regular staff of Bramble View Institute.

By the time the fire had gone out it was dinner time in the mess hall of the facility, leaving the existing staff of 50-some-odd young males to escort the patients that were able to eat that evening (or were behaving well enough to be let out of their rooms in the first place) to said room. As that was taking place, Todd managed to convince Nic to introduce himself on the stage in the mess hall with a microphone tied into the PA system during the end of dinner. As it drew to a close, Todd went up on the stage and switched power on for the Mic and gave a short announcement before Nic went up with him.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I've a very special announcement for you all..." He started, getting everyone's undivided attention immediately.

"I've just today hired a special staff member that's going to be working on the security, that way we can keep a better eye on everyone and make sure everyone's healthy and generally feeling well, so without further delay, let me introduce you to Mr. Nic Tompson!" Todd stated cheerfully, attempting to get the group into it by clapping his hands. But the girls wouldn't have any part of it, knowing that their days of coming and going at will may very well be over. Nic walked onto the stage, allowing everyone present to get a good look at him.

"Mr. Tompson-" Todd started to say when Nic cut him off with,

"Just... Nic, no 'Mr.' please."

"Alright, Nic... Would you care to take any questions from your new friends?" Todd said, hoping to evoke a positive response from the crowd, which was staring daggers at both men. One of the girls raised a hand as she asked,

"What gives you the right? The security's just fine here, not to mention no one wants their privacy taken away with 24/7 cameras trained on the stalls or our rooms!" Said an Espea with a bad facial tick.

"Well, for one thing, I ain't putting cameras where I can see into the stalls, but it's for safety and security reasons, and the main thing goin' in the rooms is gonna be a sensor strip that's essentially a motion detector and life sign scanner... It's to make sure you haven't killed yourself." He said in an unamused tone. Soon another raised her hand, a Bardess with a voice that cracked ever-so-slightly when she spoke.

"Could you help Dr. Todd come up with some more events for us? I think he might be running dry on ideas, just a thought..." She said sweetly. Suddenly Nic's demeanor changed to a much friendlier state as he heard an actually relevant question (to him anyway).

"Sure, I can give'im some hints of what he may not have thought of yet, I can't just be sittin' around all day behind a monitor in some stuffy room... That gets bad for ya after awhile." He said cheerfully.

"Y'hear that, Boss? They think you're slippin'!" Nic said chuckling in a joking manner.

"Alright, I get it... anymore questions anyone?" Todd asked the group with a grin.  
...

After a few more handfuls of questions later, it was time for lights-out and for Nic to begin setting up some of the more basic but essential equipment for his job. Dr. Todd eventually followed his new employee outside to a large Russian Ural truck with a trailer attached to the back in addition to the truck itself's storage space.

"Wow! Where'd you find this? Is this where you live out of? Doesn't look like a bad setup, honestly..." Todd exclaimed.

"Yeh, but it's kinda cram-packed in there." Nic said as he went in a side door leading leading into the back of the truck. As Todd peered inside he could see a plethora of electronic equipment and circuit boards, along with some odd-looking guns.

"What's the lethal ordinance for?" Todd asked, motioning to the massive barrel.

"It's actually an automated sentry gun, it uses non-lethal stun rounds so it's made more for stopping and disabling... You might like the ideas I have for your security flaws, 'cause you may as well not have had any at all before I came along... That's gotta change." Nic said as he pulled out a pokeball and released a Video Girl AI Upgrade.

"Hey, Sparks, lemme see the data input on the file, 'New Job Security Protocol', and bring up the scan of the facility in a 2D top-down map for a cross-reference... Thanks." Said Nic to her.

"Uploading... Done, now running cross-reference with required protocol procedures, stand by.." She said as a holographic map of Bramble View appeared in mid-air before him and he began marking areas for a reason unknown to Todd.

"So what is this gonna do? Just curious..." Todd asked, apparently in the dark.

"Well I need a map to effectively eliminate any potential blind spots... You only have four cameras in a facility that due to it's size needs roughly between 45-50 to qualify as 'safe' for everyone in there." Nic explained.

"Wow, I had no idea how bad it was... How long do you think this will take to get everything up and running at full tilt?" Todd asked, hoping it wouldn't be too terribly long.

"Eeeehh... My guess is if the existing staff on hand lends some help, a little under two weeks or less? Sparks, that sound about right?" Nic said asking his Pokegirl for a second opinion.

"Somewhere in that range, but it would take shifts of up to 6 hours and constant staff rotation to meet that deadline..." She said almost dimming Todd's hopes.

"Hey don't worry, if your crew wanted to leave they woulda split long before now... I'm sure they'd be glad to help, if nothing more than to quit havin' to patrol as much as they most certainly do now." Nic said in a positive manner.

"I hope you're right, Nic... I really do..." Todd said slightly distracted with his worry.  
...

The next day, Nic got the full-on tour of what would essentially be his new home. He got to meet several of the patients that Dr. Sorensen allowed him to see until the new security was up and running for obvious reasons. After gathering any off-duty staff to the meeting room they set about to install all the new cameras first off while Nic was taking into account external safety measures on the grounds themselves. After a few hours, the shift took effect and the next batch of roughly 15 people took over for the next few hours. This continued for the estimated time goal until finally the day came where the only thing left to do was activate it. Nic had been in the old security room with a 'do not disturb' sign hanging from the doorknob for a few days before the unveiling of the new security systems. As he brought Dr. Sorensen into the room for a sneak-peek, the Dr. noticed a large multi-screened computer in place of the smaller console that was once in its place, apparently the new computer that ran everything.

"I really must thank you for what you've done... If this works, my reputation will have officially been restored... To be quite honest I was afraid for the longest time my safe haven for these poor girls would be shut down permanently, and I couldn't have been able to live with myself after that... Without anyone to cater to their needs and quell their fears of their pasts, would've been unthinkable for both myself and them." Dr. Sorensen said passionately, obviously overjoyed about the fact that he may have turned all this around after all.

"Eh, I figure there's too much bullshit gone down with these girls, and they don't deserve to take any more, let alone the stuff they've put up with already... Hey if you want me to help out talkin' to some of'em just ask and I'll do what I can, 'K?" Nic offered.

"Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you, but in the meantime, let's turn the key so to speak, shall we?" Todd said eagerly.

"Alright alright, calm down you look like a retard with a cupcake, man..." Nic joked. As Nic pressed the power-up sequence button, the sounds of massive cooling fans could be heard from deep within the complex machine. The screen soon came on with the OS name;

"Windows Infinite? What's that?" Dr. Sorensen inquired.

"The only good version they came out with... let's just leave it at that." Nic said, distracted slightly by startup sequences. As Dr. Sorensen watched he saw Nic's fingers flick and skip across the keyboard with blinding speed, his fingers being a mere blur.

"Do you have a speed-based blood gift, Nic? That's rather impressive, I only wish I could type financial reports that quickly..." Dr. Sorensen said, duly impressed.

"Yeh, somethin' like that... Alright, Just gotta type the password in, so keep your fingers crossed, 'cause this is only the beginning of the changes..." Nic said, and before Dr. Sorensen could ask what he meant by that, Nic had punched in the password and the confirmation of a successful startup chimed in.  



	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Mini Tops and Groucho Marx Rip-offs.

"So what's next? Rather, who?" Nic asked his new boss, referring to his offered duty of slightly assisting with verbal therapy.

"Let's see here... Oh, it seems Fio needs some company... Don't worry about what she is, she's rather broken... The poor dear just sits on her bed all day crying to herself every now and then, completely unlike her unscarred counterparts..." Dr. Sorensen said sadly.

"What is she? Moreover how'd she get to that far gone of a point?" Nic asked in a concerned tone.

"Fio's a Mini-Top, but even though they tend to be abusive, they are fiercely protective of their tamer... She's lost several to various causes, mainly lack of common sense, and as an indirect result her lack of patience to deal with it, leading most Tamers she's had to go off and do something deathly stupid..." Dr. Sorensen explained.

"Ouch... How many blockheads before she wound up here did she have to go through?" Nic said in an tone of annoyance for them.

"23 until she was eventually found by an Officer Jenny in an alley behind a bar, She had actually started a huge rage-driven bar brawl the night prior to her discovery and almost murdered several of those involved... One man won't be able to properly tame anymore, let alone reproduce... I don't think I can say anymore... Oh we're here, word of warning though, don't for any reason insult her past tamers, it will cause her to stop at nothing to rip you in half, so just keep her some company as she needs special attention... Oh, if she asks for a taming go ahead, it makes her feel better somewhat than normal... Here take this, too." Dr. Sorensen said, reaching into his coat's pocket pulling out a bottle of vintage Jack Daniels.

"It calms her nerves and makes her just a tad talkative, so I'll go ahead to some other parts of the facility for daily check-ups and I'll be back within the hour... Until then..." Dr. Sorensen said, opening the door to Fio's quarters, closing it behind Nic and locking it. As Nic looked around, he saw her seeming to either not notice him or not care that he was there, staring down at her mattress she was on with her knees pulled up to her face, a look of total despair upon her face. She mainly looked tired, as though sleep had not come easy for multiple weeks, and there were heavy bags under her eyes, as well as some obvious weight loss, save for her derrière which stuck out like a sore thumb. She was dressed in the usual plain white clothing the patients wore in these types of places, but it was stained from previous alcohol consumption and spillage. He approached her softly, yet she still didn't acknowledge him, that is until he sat down next to her, which even then only caused her eyes to slowly slide over to look at him then down at the bottle of golden amber liquid. He slowly handed it to her, taking the cap off for her, guessing she may be too weak to even manage that on her own. After staring at it a few seconds, she reached out and took it gently, taking a whiff of the contents and taking a timid sip which then devolved into guzzling the entire bottle and after looking at the empty container after milking it dry, threw it against the wall where it didn't even chip due to the lack of power required to do so. It just kind of clinked to the floor noisily. After a few moments of silence, she spoke in a barely audible manner.

"I'm bad luck you know... Everyone I like dies... That's how it goes, life fucks you over like a Harlem dime whore, and there isn't anything you can do about it... Ever." She said in a hoarse whisper, her vocal chords obviously damaged.

"At least you're still here... You could be nothin' but a memory..." Nic said quietly.

"I am a memory in this place... People come here to be forgotten like a bad dream, and the sad fact is, nothing's done about it... I don't even think Dr. Marx is here for us..." She said with a completely defeatist tone.

"Dr... Marx? Dr. Sorensen's the only doctor here..?" Nic asked, unfamiliar with the name.

""He came in with a carrot cigar, and... Made me smile... First time in years... I was weak, and he took advantage of it... I'm not supposed to be happy, that's the way life works, it's supposed to be miserable... At least mine anyway..." She said, suddenly getting a slight whap upside the head which she looked completely shocked about.

"Quit with the defeatist attitude, it's not good for you... Besides, the guys you lost probably cared about you, you think they'd want to see you in a place like this? That's being kinda selfish don't you think? I'm sure underneath the way you may or may not have initially treated them, you honestly cared, otherwise you wouldn't have cared about losing them and you wouldn't be here... But you did care, and because of that they''re wherever they're at now watching you with complete shock at what's happened to you... They'd want you to take care of yourself, no matter what." Nic said, laying it down for her as best he could. She just stared at him for a second before saying anything. Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes as she began bawling openly, literally crying on Nic's shoulder.

"I just miss them... I couldn't even save them from themselves, some companion I am!" She wailed.

"Saving someone from themselves is something most Celestials have problems with, it's just too difficult to do alone... Help goes along more quickly and effectively when numbers are involved, preferably above one." He said, patting her on the back as she began to finally calm down.

"Feel a little better, now?" Nic asked her as she pulled her face out of his clavicle, sniffing back some nose leakage as she nodded in response. Suddenly Nic saw a another change in her demeanor, one he recognized from the look in her eyes. She again leaned on his shoulder, nuzzling it in a friendly manner, wrapping her arms around him. She looked at him with pleading eyes, indicating a much-needed service. As Nic sighed, he just nodded in response to her desires causing her to near-completely relax for the first time in weeks.  
...

Later that night during after hours and after letting Nic back out, Todd finally got a good look at the security devices Nic had set up, mainly because Nic had actually pointed them out as they were rather well-hidden. All of a sudden though, Todd got the feeling he was being followed which wasn't surprising to him given there was a resident there predating the conversion of Bramble View from an old bomb shelter into it's present glory. He had Nicknamed her 'Sheila,' who was the resident Succubus. Suddenly Todd heard Nic's voice over the two way radio on his belt loop,

"Hey, uh... Boss man? You got somethin' tailin' ya... Can't really make it out..." Came his voice as Todd Replied into the device,

"Yes, that would be Sheila, this building's original owner before I decided to build here... She's the resident spook as it were, she's prone to pulling pranks by the way so watch it when you go to sit down, she'll pull the chair on you in a heartbeat." Todd said with a grin.

"Yeh, I coulda used that info 2 minutes ago, damn near broke mah assbone!" Nic said in an aggravated tone. Todd just chuckled and continued down the hallway, making sure everyone was down for the night.  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Beast Within. In Name Only.

Even though he was good at what he did, Dr. Sorensen had a major problem with the way he looked. Not his 'normal' appearance mind you, but something far more intimidating than his primary form which he quite honestly had no idea how to control or even what triggered it. It was essentially what amounted to a phase 3 pokeboy form, which mainly occurred during times of great stress or fatigue from his job which was obviously quite often. But it always happened at the most inopportune times, such as right in the middle of a patient's therapy session. He would become almost werewolf-esque in design principle including the swept-back leg look, on top of that gaining razor sharp claws able to render most softer metals useless, a tremendous strength boost and roughly a foot in height. The first time it happened in a therapeutic setting was with Fio herself. They were discussing her feelings on her life, when all of a sudden he felt rather itchy and scratched at his hand, noticing something was off, and that his speech sounded a bit funny. He finally caught on when he saw her face, now full of sheer terror. Since that day he has felt ashamed and tries to hide out in his office until it subsides, which takes on average anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days max. We now go to him yet again chatting with one of the patients, the Espea from the impromptu dinner introduction to Nic, where she is speaking outright against all the new security updates and the ones soon to come.

"I still don't see why we have to have all these mechanical things in here, the regular guards were enough! The cameras give me a headache anyway, it's the way they smell and the noises they make when they move, plus they follow your every move which is just flat-out annoying!" She griped. This continued to be a one-sided conversation until she began trailing off, looking rather shocked at Dr. Sorensen. Suddenly his eyes went wide seeing this with the words,

"Oh god, not again!" He said in a squeaky growl of a voice. He immediately got up to leave and banged his head on the ceiling, knocking some dust down in the process, causing him to start sneezing, sending spittle spray everywhere. He quickly stumbled out of the room making sure to lock it again and barreled down the hallway at full tilt, intending to get to his office when he saw Nic in the way of his escape. He screeched to a halt with the words,

"Move! I can't let the patients see me like this! They'd lose their minds if they saw..." That's when Dr. Sorensen saw that Nic was escorting several patients back to their quarters after breakfast. His heart leapt into his throat and he looked extremely meek, despite his current physical appearance. Among them however was Fio, who to him looked horrified and shocked by this form. But to any normal outsider, she looked more intrigued by it, curious-like. He dodged past them and ran into his office, now totally mortified and humiliated by this unfortunate turn of events.  
...

3 1/2 Hours later, the changes had completely disappeared, leaving Dr. Sorensen to face whatever sort of reaction that would most certainly occur. He wanted to apologize to Fio but couldn't bring himself to do anything more than pace back and forth nervously outside her room. Eventually he started to head back to his room when he heard her pull the eye slat for viewing inside the room from outside and call for him. He stopped dead still in a cringe position, wondering frantically what she would say. What she said however caught him completely off-guard.

"Dr. Marx? I've got a question... C... Can you... Do that thing... again? It was a... Big puppy, right?" She said, calmly, completely upending the doctor.

"I don't... Know how to, it just comes and goes..." He said after walking up to the door.

"Then... Could you, uhm... Could you show up... More?" She said, her face showing a reddish tinge for the first time in years. This was a major breakthrough with her, he COULD NOT let this opportunity slip by, lest she slip further into her vicious cycle-like depression.

"Yes... I'll make absolutely sure to do that, I promise... Would you like me to get you a drink in the meantime? Maybe something special?" He offered which she thought about for a second or two.

"A Dos Equis, if you don't mind... and something to munch on, maybe some more alfalfa..." She said, actually expressing an interest in food, let alone actually eating it. He nodded in response, too numb to do much else and practically skipped down the hallway he was so elated at how it turned out. She was definitely coming out of her funk, and Todd couldn't be happier, as she was one of the longest-running cases in Bramble View, actually being one of the first few patients brought in since the construction of the place! He was stopped by Nic who was waiting outside the security room, obviously aware of what had just occurred.

"Way to go, you actually got through to her... Keep this up and she might be able to leave for once and not have to come back... I think she likes you like that, by the way... How did you get like that to start with?" Nic asked.

"Well I'll fill you in when I get my errand run done for her, I'm so happy I could cry! This is her first major breakthrough since she's been here! It's amazing!" He said in a singsong voice.

"Alright Mr. Brightside, don't go floatin' into the upper atmosphere on me..." Nic teased.

"Alright, be right back..." Dr. Sorensen said.  
...

After a few more words were exchanged and Dr. Sorensen saw to it that Fio had everything requested, he went back to tell Nic about his strange problem. As it turns out there was no apparent cause or trigger and began when he was about 7 years old. It always happened in high stress situations though such as the necessary restraint of a particularly rowdy patient, or when the job itself got to be a bit much. but sometimes it didn't even need that to occur and would just happen at random sometimes. At any rate it was more physical strength and his outward appearance was all that changed. His strength would roughly be the equivalent of 15 or so strong young men in their prime, but speed saw very small improvement, overall only 2 to 3 times normal human average. But what he lacked in speed he made up for in tracking it. That and raw power obviously, but he could track objects with his eyes in that form that would normally be just a flicker of movement to most.

"Well that's pretty good considering I an run at those speeds if I really push it... So if you see me gtfo'ing somewhere, that means you'd better follow suit cause all hell's broke loose in the opposite direction I'm running." Nic said with a grim look.

"Noted, say... Are you getting tired of the cafeteria food? I could really go for some specialty meals, that form takes a lot of energy out of me when I revert back..." Dr. Sorensen explained.

"Sure, why not... You plannin' on eatin' out tonight?" Nic inquired.

"Like you said just now, 'sure why not?'" Dr. Sorensen said as Nic grinned.

"So what kinda food ya got in mind?" Nic asked him.

"Feel up for a bit of everything? I've yet to repay you for all your hard work, and all that's yet to come which by the way... What else are you going to add? We have the security system installed already..." Dr. Sorensen wondered.

""For Pokegirls with average strength yes, that's all well and good... But cameras aren't gonna stop the high-risk patients from busting out, like that Berserker you've got holed up in isolation cell #15... She had a huge sword she'd always try to get before considering escaping... I'll fill you in on the details over the meal and on the way to and from... In the meantime, let's chow down!"  
Chapter 4: The Beast Within. In Name Only.

Even though he was good at what he did, Dr. Sorensen had a major problem with the way he looked. Not his 'normal' appearance mind you, but something far more intimidating than his primary form which he quite honestly had no idea how to control or even what triggered it. It was essentially what amounted to a phase 3 pokeboy form, which mainly occurred during times of great stress or fatigue from his job which was obviously quite often. But it always happened at the most inopportune times, such as right in the middle of a patient's therapy session. He would become almost werewolf-esque in design principle including the swept-back leg look, on top of that gaining razor sharp claws able to render most softer metals useless, a tremendous strength boost and roughly a foot in height. The first time it happened in a therapeutic setting was with Fio herself. They were discussing her feelings on her life, when all of a sudden he felt rather itchy and scratched at his hand, noticing something was off, and that his speech sounded a bit funny. He finally caught on when he saw her face, now full of sheer terror. Since that day he has felt ashamed and tries to hide out in his office until it subsides, which takes on average anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days max. We now go to him yet again chatting with one of the patients, the Espea from the impromptu dinner introduction to Nic, where she is speaking outright against all the new security updates and the ones soon to come.

"I still don't see why we have to have all these mechanical things in here, the regular guards were enough! The cameras give me a headache anyway, it's the way they smell and the noises they make when they move, plus they follow your every move which is just flat-out annoying!" She griped. This continued to be a one-sided conversation until she began trailing off, looking rather shocked at Dr. Sorensen. Suddenly his eyes went wide seeing this with the words,

"Oh god, not again!" He said in a squeaky growl of a voice. He immediately got up to leave and banged his head on the ceiling, knocking some dust down in the process, causing him to start sneezing, sending spittle spray everywhere. He quickly stumbled out of the room making sure to lock it again and barreled down the hallway at full tilt, intending to get to his office when he saw Nic in the way of his escape. He screeched to a halt with the words,

"Move! I can't let the patients see me like this! They'd lose their minds if they saw..." That's when Dr. Sorensen saw that Nic was escorting several patients back to their quarters after breakfast. His heart leapt into his throat and he looked extremely meek, despite his current physical appearance. Among them however was Fio, who to him looked horrified and shocked by this form. But to any normal outsider, she looked more intrigued by it, curious-like. He dodged past them and ran into his office, now totally mortified and humiliated by this unfortunate turn of events.  
...

3 1/2 Hours later, the changes had completely disappeared, leaving Dr. Sorensen to face whatever sort of reaction that would most certainly occur. He wanted to apologize to Fio but couldn't bring himself to do anything more than pace back and forth nervously outside her room. Eventually he started to head back to his room when he heard her pull the eye slat for viewing inside the room from outside and call for him. He stopped dead still in a cringe position, wondering frantically what she would say. What she said however caught him completely off-guard.

"Dr. Marx? I've got a question... C... Can you... Do that thing... again? It was a... Big puppy, right?" She said, calmly, completely upending the doctor.

"I don't... Know how to, it just comes and goes..." He said after walking up to the door.

"Then... Could you, uhm... Could you show up... More?" She said, her face showing a reddish tinge for the first time in years. This was a major breakthrough with her, he COULD NOT let this opportunity slip by, lest she slip further into her vicious cycle-like depression.

"Yes... I'll make absolutely sure to do that, I promise... Would you like me to get you a drink in the meantime? Maybe something special?" He offered which she thought about for a second or two.

"A Dos Equis, if you don't mind... and something to munch on, maybe some more alfalfa..." She said, actually expressing an interest in food, let alone actually eating it. He nodded in response, too numb to do much else and practically skipped down the hallway he was so elated at how it turned out. She was definitely coming out of her funk, and Todd couldn't be happier, as she was one of the longest-running cases in Bramble View, actually being one of the first few patients brought in since the construction of the place! He was stopped by Nic who was waiting outside the security room, obviously aware of what had just occurred.

"Way to go, you actually got through to her... Keep this up and she might be able to leave for once and not have to come back... I think she likes you like that, by the way... How did you get like that to start with?" Nic asked.

"Well I'll fill you in when I get my errand run done for her, I'm so happy I could cry! This is her first major breakthrough since she's been here! It's amazing!" He said in a singsong voice.

"Alright Mr. Brightside, don't go floatin' into the upper atmosphere on me..." Nic teased.

"Alright, be right back..." Dr. Sorensen said.  
...

After a few more words were exchanged and Dr. Sorensen saw to it that Fio had everything requested, he went back to tell Nic about his strange problem. As it turns out there was no apparent cause or trigger and began when he was about 7 years old. It always happened in high stress situations though such as the necessary restraint of a particularly rowdy patient, or when the job itself got to be a bit much. but sometimes it didn't even need that to occur and would just happen at random sometimes. At any rate it was more physical strength and his outward appearance was all that changed. His strength would roughly be the equivalent of 15 or so strong young men in their prime, but speed saw very small improvement, overall only 2 to 3 times normal human average. But what he lacked in speed he made up for in tracking it. That and raw power obviously, but he could track objects with his eyes in that form that would normally be just a flicker of movement to most.

"Well that's pretty good considering I an run at those speeds if I really push it... So if you see me gtfo'ing somewhere, that means you'd better follow suit cause all hell's broke loose in the opposite direction I'm running." Nic said with a grim look.

"Noted, say... Are you getting tired of the cafeteria food? I could really go for some specialty meals, that form takes a lot of energy out of me when I revert back..." Dr. Sorensen explained.

"Sure, why not... You plannin' on eatin' out tonight?" Nic inquired.

"Like you said just now, 'sure why not?'" Dr. Sorensen said as Nic grinned.

"So what kinda food ya got in mind?" Nic asked him.

"Feel up for a bit of everything? I've yet to repay you for all your hard work, and all that's yet to come which by the way... What else are you going to add? We have the security system installed already..." Dr. Sorensen wondered.

""For Pokegirls with average strength yes, that's all well and good... But cameras aren't gonna stop the high-risk patients from busting out, like that Berserker you've got holed up in isolation cell #15... She had a huge sword she'd always try to get before considering escaping... I'll fill you in on the details over the meal and on the way to and from... In the meantime, let's chow down!"  



	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: J-Pop and Dolls.

"Nic, I need you to see two cases today, being that the initial staff has seemingly decided to take a break from their duties..." Nic remembered Dr. Sorensen saying as he walked to the first Pokegirl's room.

"Can't believe he insists on putting faith in those guys, even after they ditch'im like this..." Nic said in a gruff under-his-breath whisper. He then went through what Dr. Sorensen had explained to him about these two...

"The first's name is Marie, and it's a rather odd case... She's a Gun Valkyrie but she's afraid of her own chain guns, moreover the noise that they make when actually firing... She also has this odd quirk for being a fan of the Edo league's pop culture icons By which I mean she is an Otaku... We refer to her sometimes as 'Pocky,' due to it being her favorite treat, but I digress, I surmise her fear stems from post-traumatic stress disorder, as she was a survivor of a small scuffle post-sukebe's revenge war, as well as serving time during said conflict." Nic heard him say in his head.

"The last one is a Joltina that can't seem to acquire a voltage above that of a standard tazer round, and she's quite sensitive about it... She also likes to be the first to have a taming session with any new staff, so I'd omit the fact about Fio and you somewhat cheating her out of it..." Dr. Sorensen had warned.

"Alright, room 34-L, Low threat case wing..." Nic mumbled as he opened the door with his key-card and walked into an anime lover's paradise. Every inch of the walls were covered in J-Pop material, and there was the sound of a Pre-Sukebe Korean group playing on a small stereo on her bed stand. She looked up in shock with a look of fright for her things, fearing immediately that Nic was there to relieve her of her belongings.

"OUT! LIKE RIGHT NOW!" She shrieked in a teenager-esque voice.

"And what're ya gonna do about it? Shoot me?" Nic taunted as she sat up from laying down on her stomach and summoned her guns, leveling them at his face. Undaunted, he went up to one of them and pushed the barrels up against his forehead with the words,

"Pull... I dare you..." He said with an unamused look and tone. He noticed her jaw clench up for a fraction of a second, indicating what he knew already.

"I-I'll d-d-do i-it... I-I sw-ear-r...!" She stammered, obviously panicking.

"The what're you waiting for? Do it..." He said, finally calling he bluff as she dismissed them and began crying in more anger than sadness.

"Fine, go ahead and take all my stuff, I hate being here and I hate you! You're a big meanie!" She said in that same teenage manner, almost as though she was one.

"I'm not here to take your stuff, I'm here on Dr. Sorensen's orders to keep you company, Unless you really want me to leave..." He said, starting to turn around to the door.

"NO! WAIT...! Uhm, I mean... You don't wanna stay?" She said, obviously having been left to herself for a while and desperate for company.

"I guess I could, but I was told you had to make some form of progress today, the Dr.'s sayin' you've kinda slacked off on that..." He said as her eyes went to that same frightened manner from just a few minutes ago.

"W-wh-what... Kind of progress?" She said, trying not to stammer.

"Well, he wants 200 continuous rounds fired, and he says it needs to happen today at the firing range I recently cooked up for others that might need to use'em." He explained.

"B-b-bu-... 200? That's... That's like, over 100!" She said, hoping to weasel out of testing again.

"Yes it is, but that's not the point here... Unless of course you don't ant that new album out by Dizzy Pandas..." He said with a grin.

"Wha-...? You mean... Dizzy Pandas' 'Dizzy on the floor' album? That doesn't come out for another month!" She said in disbelief.

"If you wanna buy it in stores, yeah it doesn't come out till then, but they've got a special download option on their website, good for only another day, and I just happen to have the only Internet access here for another 300 miles around." He said, immediately grabbing her interest. She stared at him, weighing her options for another minute before finally crumbling and saying,

"Fine... It's just 200 rounds, right? It'll be over quick at least, right?" She said more to herself than him for reassurance.

"Thattagirl... C'mon, I got it already set up." He said as he took her hand and led her out the door after closing it behind them and locking it to keep any thieves at bay.  
...

As they walked into the newly remodeled room underground in the basement catacombs that was once an empty room with no real use other than storage, Marie saw an impressive bit of work that had been lovingly put into the designs. There was not only the standard targets that moved back and forth, but ones that would move in erratic patterns all around for better practice on moving targets.

"I take it you like what you see?" Nic asked her seeing the look of pure awe on her face.

"This is... Wow..." She said, with only a slightly nervous look on her face now. They walked over to a computer console for the controls of the targets and Nic began typing commands in.

"So, uhm... What're you going to have them do?" She said, starting to get interested, mainly due to the new music she might soon get.

"I'm just gonna have a simple back-and-forth target, but you've gotta fire those rounds before it gets too close, alright?" He stated, causing her to stare at him in shock.

"Well... It'll be done quickly, right...?" She said.

"Depends on how quickly you can spin'em up and get to shootin', sweetheart..." Nic said in a lighthearted manner. She gritted her teeth as she stared at the target; a standard dummy target on which was drawn an angry squiggled face. She immediately busted out laughing at the sight of it alone, causing Nic to stare at it himself.

"Who the heck drew...? Never mind, let's get started..." He commented, wondering who had been down there but him...  
...

Dr. Sorensen had been working on the finances which, despite the heavy upgrades, indicated that they were still in the red, according to both He and Maddy's math. Maddy was the resident March Hare, there because she was unwanted by anyone who didn't want to deal with her love of tea and other caffeine-enriched drinks as it made her spout more annoying nonsense rhymes than normal. Dr. Sorensen had found her true line of work in the form of his math and calculation problems for issues pertaining to the slowly accruing debt he was now facing. He sat back in his chair and stared up at the fluorescent lights in the ceiling, covering his face with his hands to block it out for a moment of peace and quiet. That soon ended abruptly however when the sound of continuous gunfire could be heard from downstairs, 2 floors down to be exact.

"Good god, is that coming from the basement?" Dr. Sorensen cried out as he noticed Maddy had disappeared. He then looked under his desk and saw her cowering, twitchy from the sudden loud noise.

"Don't worry Maddy, I'll see what's going on, you just stay here, alright? Athena, if you would follow me please, we'll get to the bottom of this..." He said as a smooth-skinned figure arose from underneath a pile of clothes in the corner. Her eyes seemed to have no emotion, no spark to them as they stared at him lifelessly. It followed right after him as they took the stairs, down to where more of the gunfire could be heard.

"Athena, ready your armour, this could be rough... Defend yourself as you see necessary..." He said in a slightly shaky voice as he kicked open the door for his Doll, Athena, to enter. Suddenly Athena was sprayed by a hail of gunfire that immediately stopped with the words,

"OMYGAWD I'M SO SORRY!" Suddenly Marie came bounding out of the room and Dr. Sorensen breathed a sigh of half-relief, half-frustration.

"What in God's name is going on down here? I was working on financial reports and the next thing I know I hear... Nic, What's going on...?" He said as Nic poked his head out the door sheepishly to see Athena getting up and clearing the dust off of her body from the wall she got slammed against. She was sporting some type of living armour that covered the vital areas of her body as well.

"Is that.. a Doll? What's the armour for? Waaaiit... A Guyver?" Nic said, staring in disbelief. Suddenly Dr. Sorensen got the first look of pure anger on his face.

"She is none of your concern... Just leave her alone, she doesn't need anyone's help but mine!" He screamed in a growl, the veins bulging on his neck. Suddenly he stopped, catching himself from going any further.

"I... Apologize... It's just, first we're in the red in terms of debt and bills, then this and I think I may have to check myself in here soon..." He said, straining to keep himself from crying. Nic could tell one thing about him; He needed some sleep as there were huge bags under his eyes that had been slowly growing the past few days.

"Look, why don't you go and get some rest, you deserve it... Besides you can only do so much like you are now..." Nic said in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine... I just need to finish the last bit of-" He started to say before he walked no more than 2 feet and dropped, passed out on the floor. Nic sighed and said,

"Marie, can you get the poor guy back to his room? He desperately needs to consider his own health on top of all of the patients here..." He said shaking his head in disbelief at what had just occurred.

"Alright, but wait... How many rounds did I fire?" She asked anxiously as Nic showed the counter which read,

"327, That sound right? Even though the last hundred or so landed on this poor kid, you still lit'em up and then some..." He said rather impressed himself.

"You mean... I can get the album?" She squealed excitedly. Even though it was enough to shatter someone's eardrums, the good doctor didn't even twitch in his sleep.

"Let's just get'im back in his bed first, okay? Then I'll let you download it..." He explained calmly.

"But what about Athena? She doesn't listen to anyone but Dr. Sorensen..." She said, motioning to the Guyver-bonded Doll who seemed to be staring straight ahead blankly. Nic snapped his fingers in front of her face, trying to evoke a response, but it didn't work.

"Geez, she must have some serious input issues..." He thought to himself. As they began walking Dr. Sorensen back to his office, she immediately began following them all the way there. Upon entering she covered herself back up with the clothing and various items from before, completely concealing herself as before.

"He musta told her to stay here when he's not around... I was wonderin' what those odd motion signals were comin' from in here..." He commented as Marie laid the doctor down on his cot he had in his office.

"Aww... He's snoring..." Said Marie in a voice one would normally use with a child. Nic just facepalmed, suddenly remembering the other patient he had to get to that day.

"Aw, shit... I've gotta deal with another case, so let's get you that album and back to your room..." Said Nic, leaving Sorensen to snore the rest of the day away.  



	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Supplements and other needs.

"Alright, what'd he say about this one again?" Nic said, struggling to keep up, even this early in the game.

"Remember, you'll most often find her sunbathing on the roof, and please... Try not to look down too often or too long, that's all I can say... By the way, again make sure she knows nothing of your little encounter with Fio..." Dr. Sorensen had warned for the second time. As Nic first tried her room he quickly found out she wasn't there long before arriving due to mentally checking the cameras. He turned around to head for the roof access and sure enough, saw a yellow figure with sunshades and pants on, but nothing other than that. As he approached the sunny yellow Pokegirl, all she said was,

"Hi..." She stated a bit dryly, as though not wanting any company. Nic sat a bit away from her, taking out a technical magazine for some odd-looking robot designs. Eventually though, curiosity and boredom got the best of her.

"What's your name?" She said, stretching in her belly up position, obviously trying to get his attention. To her surprise however, he replied,

"Nic, you?" Without even looking up from the magazine.

"Dandy... Whatcha readin'?" She asked, a bit confused as to why he wasn't staring at her.

"Eh, tech book for somethin' I'm orderin'... I gotta question, Why do you always come up here? Seems to me bein' alone ain't in ya..." He said, still reading the magazine intently, but somehow keeping a conversation.

"Why do you care? Besides, I like being able to think without having to listen to those girls downstairs whining about how miserable their life is here... I say, why not look at things from a simpler perspective? It's not like anyone here hates them, and besides, we all get what we need eventually..." She stated, saying that last part as nonchalantly as possible.

"Yep..." Was Nic's only reply. She knew she had to get him to be interested, the question was... How? How could she get a 'rise' out of him as they say? She then remembered the bottle of sunscreen for the thinner patches of fur she had brought up with her...

"Say, could you rub me down with some of this sunscreen? I feel a little sun burnt... I've been up here awhile so I think it's wearing off..." She said, still using that cool manner. This was promptly upended when he got up and started toward her but walked right on past her and began heading for the exit!

"H-HEY! Where are you going?" She shouted, now amply confused.

"I'm not a pool boy, I'm gettin' someone that'll get ya fixed up..." He said as she sat up and bolted toward him and grabbed him by the arm. Obviously this was a big mistake as he instinctively grappled her arms behind her and slammed her into the wall, letting go once she relaxed.

"What... the hell... was that?" She said, visibly shaken.

"Sorry... I don't take kindly to people grabbin' me, it's just an instinctive reaction, I didn't mean it..." Nic said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Who is this killer security idiot?" Dandy thought to herself in fright.

"You still want me to give you the rub down? I gotta apologize somehow..." He said, actually put out by his own actions for once. She thought about the offer heavily before deciding.

"I... Guess... Just don't be too rough, okay?" She said, slightly annoyed by this point. As they went back outside the door they had wound up behind in the scuffle, she smoothed out her towel on the roof and laid back on her, well, back. She stretched out to allow him to rub the lotion in, and she began to slowly relax. She noticed his hands on her chest rubbing the lotion in there, too. Suddenly she was the one being gotten a rise out of, and she squeezed her legs together, trying not to climax all over herself. Alas, it proved too much to handle and they both heard a messy squirt as a sudden wet spot appeared on her pants between her thighs.

"Wow, that's a little awkward, I'll tell ya..." Nic said, suddenly stopping and moving down to her belly, which she grabbed his hand and shakily said,

"I- *Ahem* I think that's good enough for now..." She said meekly.

"Well the doc wanted me to talk about your other issues, like the main reason you're here..." Nic said. By this time the afterglow had worn off and she got slightly perturbed by that last comment.

"You mean my 'mental barrier'... That's what the Doctor said, anyway...Some people just aren't meant to do what they're supposed to, and for me it's being able to compare to a huge powerplant... I'm a fucking 9-volt battery, what can I do...?" She said flatly.

"Well, the doc seems to think it is somethin' to do with your body, but it's got nothin' to do with those energy drinks you're always slurpin' down..." He said as-a-matter-of-factly. She simply snorted in reply.

"Personally I think it's the stuff you don't eat that naturally produces bodily electricity, mainly potassium and calcium... Just a guess." He said when she slid her gaze over to him coldly.

"You're both full of crap, as much as I hate to say that about him..." She said sarcastically.

"Oh come on, he's tried his best to help you and you're not even gonna try the stuff he says? That's a little one-sided if you ask me.." Nic answered honestly. She didn't say anything as he took out a bottle of said supplements, causing her to raise an eyebrow underneath the sunshades.

"I'm NOT... taking them..." She said raising her voice ever so slightly.

"Well, unless you want me to go to see if any of the other electric types need me... Alright, I guess I'll be seein' ya..." He said as he got up to leave.

"Wait... what?" Was all she said as she watched him get up and stretch from sitting down so long. Before he got the chance to turn around she grabbed his pant leg and said,

"What do you mean... 'Need' you?" She said, praying he didn't mean...

"Well, some of the others are due for a Taming Session, plus the other staff is gettin' lazy so... I gotta do who I gotta do, y'know?" He said shrugging slightly. Suddenly she came to a snap decision.

"If I do take them, what do I get out of it?" She said with a slight grin, taking the bottle from his hand after standing up. Suddenly he took out a bottle of Milk, her least favorite beverage ever...

"You gotta take the Potassium pill with this... Then we'll talk about it, 'K?" He said as he handed her the bottle and one of the pills. She slowly put it in her mouth, placing it between her teeth as she sipped the milk, swallowing both items deliberately slowly, licking her lips clean afterwards with an amorous look upon her face, tossing the now-empty bottle behind her over her shoulder.

"Now can we... 'talk'?" She said as she saw a slow deliberate grin appear on his face.

"Yeh, let's talk..." He said as she pushed him into a sitting position, somehow managing to slide his pants off before ever he ever hit the floor, which she promptly tossed to the side with the words,

"You won't be needing those..." She stated as she immediately went for her reward.  
Chapter 6: Supplements and other needs.

"Alright, what'd he say about this one again?" Nic said, struggling to keep up, even this early in the game.

"Remember, you'll most often find her sunbathing on the roof, and please... Try not to look down too often or too long, that's all I can say... By the way, again make sure she knows nothing of your little encounter with Fio..." Dr. Sorensen had warned for the second time. As Nic first tried her room he quickly found out she wasn't there long before arriving due to mentally checking the cameras. He turned around to head for the roof access and sure enough, saw a yellow figure with sunshades and pants on, but nothing other than that. As he approached the sunny yellow Pokegirl, all she said was,

"Hi..." She stated a bit dryly, as though not wanting any company. Nic sat a bit away from her, taking out a technical magazine for some odd-looking robot designs. Eventually though, curiosity and boredom got the best of her.

"What's your name?" She said, stretching in her belly up position, obviously trying to get his attention. To her surprise however, he replied,

"Nic, you?" Without even looking up from the magazine.

"Dandy... Whatcha readin'?" She asked, a bit confused as to why he wasn't staring at her.

"Eh, tech book for somethin' I'm orderin'... I gotta question, Why do you always come up here? Seems to me bein' alone ain't in ya..." He said, still reading the magazine intently, but somehow keeping a conversation.

"Why do you care? Besides, I like being able to think without having to listen to those girls downstairs whining about how miserable their life is here... I say, why not look at things from a simpler perspective? It's not like anyone here hates them, and besides, we all get what we need eventually..." She stated, saying that last part as nonchalantly as possible.

"Yep..." Was Nic's only reply. She knew she had to get him to be interested, the question was... How? How could she get a 'rise' out of him as they say? She then remembered the bottle of sunscreen for the thinner patches of fur she had brought up with her...

"Say, could you rub me down with some of this sunscreen? I feel a little sun burnt... I've been up here awhile so I think it's wearing off..." She said, still using that cool manner. This was promptly upended when he got up and started toward her but walked right on past her and began heading for the exit!

"H-HEY! Where are you going?" She shouted, now amply confused.

"I'm not a pool boy, I'm gettin' someone that'll get ya fixed up..." He said as she sat up and bolted toward him and grabbed him by the arm. Obviously this was a big mistake as he instinctively grappled her arms behind her and slammed her into the wall, letting go once she relaxed.

"What... the hell... was that?" She said, visibly shaken.

"Sorry... I don't take kindly to people grabbin' me, it's just an instinctive reaction, I didn't mean it..." Nic said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Who is this killer security idiot?" Dandy thought to herself in fright.

"You still want me to give you the rub down? I gotta apologize somehow..." He said, actually put out by his own actions for once. She thought about the offer heavily before deciding.

"I... Guess... Just don't be too rough, okay?" She said, slightly annoyed by this point. As they went back outside the door they had wound up behind in the scuffle, she smoothed out her towel on the roof and laid back on her, well, back. She stretched out to allow him to rub the lotion in, and she began to slowly relax. She noticed his hands on her chest rubbing the lotion in there, too. Suddenly she was the one being gotten a rise out of, and she squeezed her legs together, trying not to climax all over herself. Alas, it proved too much to handle and they both heard a messy squirt as a sudden wet spot appeared on her pants between her thighs.

"Wow, that's a little awkward, I'll tell ya..." Nic said, suddenly stopping and moving down to her belly, which she grabbed his hand and shakily said,

"I- *Ahem* I think that's good enough for now..." She said meekly.

"Well the doc wanted me to talk about your other issues, like the main reason you're here..." Nic said. By this time the afterglow had worn off and she got slightly perturbed by that last comment.

"You mean my 'mental barrier'... That's what the Doctor said, anyway...Some people just aren't meant to do what they're supposed to, and for me it's being able to compare to a huge powerplant... I'm a fucking 9-volt battery, what can I do...?" She said flatly.

"Well, the doc seems to think it is somethin' to do with your body, but it's got nothin' to do with those energy drinks you're always slurpin' down..." He said as-a-matter-of-factly. She simply snorted in reply.

"Personally I think it's the stuff you don't eat that naturally produces bodily electricity, mainly potassium and calcium... Just a guess." He said when she slid her gaze over to him coldly.

"You're both full of crap, as much as I hate to say that about him..." She said sarcastically.

"Oh come on, he's tried his best to help you and you're not even gonna try the stuff he says? That's a little one-sided if you ask me.." Nic answered honestly. She didn't say anything as he took out a bottle of said supplements, causing her to raise an eyebrow underneath the sunshades.

"I'm NOT... taking them..." She said raising her voice ever so slightly.

"Well, unless you want me to go to see if any of the other electric types need me... Alright, I guess I'll be seein' ya..." He said as he got up to leave.

"Wait... what?" Was all she said as she watched him get up and stretch from sitting down so long. Before he got the chance to turn around she grabbed his pant leg and said,

"What do you mean... 'Need' you?" She said, praying he didn't mean...

"Well, some of the others are due for a Taming Session, plus the other staff is gettin' lazy so... I gotta do who I gotta do, y'know?" He said shrugging slightly. Suddenly she came to a snap decision.

"If I do take them, what do I get out of it?" She said with a slight grin, taking the bottle from his hand after standing up. Suddenly he took out a bottle of Milk, her least favorite beverage ever...

"You gotta take the Potassium pill with this... Then we'll talk about it, 'K?" He said as he handed her the bottle and one of the pills. She slowly put it in her mouth, placing it between her teeth as she sipped the milk, swallowing both items deliberately slowly, licking her lips clean afterwards with an amorous look upon her face, tossing the now-empty bottle behind her over her shoulder.

"Now can we... 'talk'?" She said as she saw a slow deliberate grin appear on his face.

"Yeh, let's talk..." He said as she pushed him into a sitting position, somehow managing to slide his pants off before ever he ever hit the floor, which she promptly tossed to the side with the words,

"You won't be needing those..." She stated as she immediately went for her reward.  



	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The teacher is now the disciple. Learning coding no less, who knew?

"So, Dr. Sorensen, I gotta ask you... Who's the Minotaura always clompin' down the hallways? That and why does she have full access to everything?" Nic asked, Nodding his head down the hallway where she had passed by them.

"Oh, her? That would be Alex, the other security guard around here, and I wouldn't recommend getting in her path... Most people have wound up with broken feet, and had to completely quit their jobs here due to the pain of walking afterward." Dr. Sorensen explained.

"Hmmm... She doesn't ever say much does she? I've seen her watchin' me when I'm coding for the security here, but as soon as I notice, she turns and leaves..." Nic said, slightly confused as to why.

"And then there's those gauntlets she always wears, those look like they allow complete and free movement of the wrists and fingers, quality stuff..." Nic commented, impressed.

"It's made of an unknown type of metal, that and the giant hammer she carries with her is attached to her arm via the cuff on her wrist, which all seems to be made of the same metal as well." Dr. Sorensen said.

"We found her wandering around out side the facility years before you ever came here, and she was unable to move due to her hammer weighting her down, and before you ask, yes she was malnutritioned enough to warrant that happening." Todd explained.

"As to the metal chains and gauntlets, she doesn't like to talk about them, as I surmise it has to do with a tragic past like so many others here..." The doctor explained further.

"Well, a small piece fell off the other day... I've been trying to make a small sample of the stuff, but I cant even chip a piece off with a diamond-tipped edge!" Nic commented. Dr. Sorensen stopped dead in his tracks, causing Nic to turn and stare at a frightened look on his boss' face.

"Make sure to give it back to her, please... Or you may not like her mood afterward..." Dr. Sorensen said with a haunted look.

"You... Okay, Doctor...?" Nic asked, concerned.

"It's nothing, just make sure to give it back undamaged, please..." Dr. Sorensen said in that same meek manner. Apparently he was truly afraid of what Alex would think of her missing chain link piece if it came back so much as scratched the wrong way. At any rate, Nic headed back for the security room, deciding to take a break, he had after all been up for the past 12 hours.  
...

Nic woke up to the sound of keys being punched slowly and deliberately at the computer and slid one eye open carefully to see Alex, sitting in a rather large armchair that Nic normally kept to nap in, but had opted for a leaned-back chair with his feet propped up on the computer console. He then noticed she had moved his chair aside without so much as causing him to twitch, causing him to raise an eyebrow at that. He sat there for a moment looking at her work while remaining still and quiet until she noticed his breathing had changed, and she slowly turned around to look at him with a look that said simply, 'heheh... Hi...' She got up to go until Nic said,

"Well, let's see what you've been doin'... Just hang on a seco-Wow..." He said, noticing she had written a line of code that normally needed to input manually once every twelve hours, without any mistakes, no less!

"Is this why you were watchin' me all the time? You wanna learn this stuff I wouldn't mind teachin' ya... It would give me somethin' to do anyway, other than be an unproductive slouch." He commented, hoping she'd say 'yes.' Sure enough her face turned red as she grinned awkwardly and nodded and sat back down in the chair she had been in.

"Well, let's start with what you know and work from there, 'k?" He said cheerfully.

2 Hours later, Dr. Sorensen happened to walk by the Security office and catch a glance of Nic in Alex's lap, talking something about programming. It didn't register until he was already around the corner, which he wheeled around and ran back to the room, causing both Nic and Alex to jump, turning around sharply to see who had just scared them speechless. Finally Nic spoke up with,

"Eheh, hi boss.." He said sheepishly as the doctor came into the room, unaware of what was going on.

"Nic, why is she typing on the security computer? To my knowledge she's not qualified for that... Unless she actually knows how, then I would have no problem with it, surely." Dr. Sorensen said calmly, starting to catch on.

"Actually she's fixed 15 mistakes I made typin' in a certain line of code, it kept needin' entered into the system cause it was about 5 or 6 digits off... She managed to figure it out just by watchin' me every day and readin' a book on the stuff, she's a lot smarter than she's lettin' everyone believe, y'know..." Nic said as Alex chuckled to herself about it. Dr. Sorensen merely grinned and said,

"Very well, proceed then, but sooner or later one of you is going to have to teach me this stuff, I feel a bit left out of the loop..." He said, half-joking, half-serious.

"Haha, don't worry boss, I'll send her to your office here in a sec, how's that sound?" Nic said, taking the opportunity of his boss leaving himself open.

"Uhm... Oh... Kay... I'll be busy on my rounds in the meantime, but I have an hour or so break in roughly 30 minutes, so send her there shortly after that, alright?" He said, his face turning red. As he left and Nic was sure his boss was out of earshot, he looked up at Alex and asked,

"What's with the look he had? Ooooh waaait a minute... I know, never mind Alex..." Nic said, noticing she had the same look on her face as the doctor's.

"He's nice to me... He's always nice..." She said slowly in a slightly low but feminine voice.

"Alright, don't get too distracted, you've gotta teach him this stuff, mainly what I'm showing you here now so... He said hoping to get her back on track.

"Hey, tell ya what I'll do..." He said, reaching over into a drawer, pulling out an old laptop and blowing the dust off of it.

"You can show'im on this, and trust me it still works, I tested it myself, it's an oldie but a goodie, by a company a long time ago called 'Alienware,' and they made top-quality stuff." He said, handing it to her, also handing her the small carved stick she had been using to hit the keys with due to her fingers being far too large. She smiled sweetly and set back to work...  
...

After awhile the doctor finally got back to his office to see Alex standing out side, clutching the laptop closely, apparently nervous about her teaching someone that had taught her for so long.

"Are you ready? I suppose Nic gave you that..." He said politely, pointing at the laptop. She merely grinned and nodded. They went into his office where a few hours passed of teaching material. Fortunately Alex phrased everything to where the good doctor could comprehend it all quite easily and soon the talk turned to mere conversation, mainly what other things Alex had been reading. Dr. Sorensen almost fell out of his chair when she replied,

"Lots of books called 'novels...' Not picture books, but word books... They're better 'cause they help me think..." She said honestly. It was soon apparent just how out of touch the Doctor had been with her lately.

"Alex, I'll be honest... I feel horrible that I didn't know any of this, I thought you were just a good friend, but The things you've been reading... What were these novels called if you don't mind me asking?" Dr. Sorensen asked, truly curious. When she began naming them off, she didn't stop until she was twenty-three titles strong and still going! Dr. Sorensen had to stop her politely to fathom all of this.

"All of those are classic titles, the likes of which are extremely rare... Where did you get them?" He asked, astounded that she could even read, let alone read such complex works of literature. She got a secretive grin on her face and didn't say anything further.

"Please, I have to know, Alex you must tell me!" He said excitedly. She got up and gently took him by the hand and started down the hallway with him, heading towards an older section of the building into the high-risk security wing, stopping at the dead-end at the end of one of the hallways. She took a small key from under the leather strap that covered her chest and stuck it in what appeared to be a mouse hole in the wall off to the side, and what happened next was amazing; The entire wall shifted back slightly and pulled apart vertically in the center, revealing a large cargo elevator, which they both stepped into as Alex pulled a lever to make it go down. They traveled along the shaft for about 4-5 minutes before coming to a stop. Alex pulled the hinged gate aside and walked down the hallway with the doctor in tow, leading him to a door that read,

"Hawethorne Military Library, All access below level 2 permitted..." Dr. Sorensen read aloud. Alex opened the door, walking in with him following after, when suddenly a voice chimed in with,

"Greetings, visitors, to the Hawethorne military-grade library... Please feel free to check out up to 4 books at a time, or browse around our large non-fiction and fiction sections..." It continues on for a while, stating historical facts about the rather large and dusty room, leaving the Doctor in a stupor.

"This... This is... Amazing..." He said, his breath nearly taken away by the mere sight of the place, forgotten long ago save for Alex. As he watched, she took two books out from the straps on her chest and placed them in a slot on a nearby wall.

"Thank you, book numbers 33-11G and 27-X have been successfully returned on account; ALEX... Please feel free to check or re-check out any of our 228.37 thousand titles we currently have on-hand, and please, have a nice day..." That same feminine voice said over some type of speaker.

"Alex, how ever did you find this place? It's really well-hidden..." Dr. Sorensen said quietly, almost as though afraid to do more than whisper. As Alex briefly told him, she had found a key jammed into the wall above in that same mouse hole, which was in fact a hidden keyhole. She could read some before she got to the library, but didn't really take off until she began from the ground up, learning first from the usual kindergarten-grade material, using comparison with the audio library then slowly working her way up the ladder. She had found some of the higher-learning books once she got a grip of the written english language and began immediately reading them one by one, until she had read nearly half the library itself! When he got done listening, he sighed and said,

"Alex, I'm sorry but I had no Idea you enjoyed books so much... Forgive me if I sound a bit rude but your type isn't very well known for that sort of thing, so naturally I couldn't have known... Alex, you've been doing this already but as long as you're okay down here by yourself you can keep coming here as long as you like, I swear to it." He said, holding up his hand boyscout style. She grinned widely and gave him a big hug, fortunately she didn't squeeze too hard being able to keep a small amount of control but a few pop noises could be heard from Dr. Sorensen's back.

"Yes.. *GASP* I-I like... YOu ToO, AleX...! CAn You *URK!* Put Me dOWn, Now, PLe-ease...? *Ow!*" He gasped heavily. There was one finale on the bull hug and admittedly, that was the one that got the crick out of his back, but the others did little more than stress him painfully. She gently set him back down realizing her mistake, and after stopping to check out another title or two, they set back towards above ground, with her happily clutching her new items. One of them was an old C++ Manual and the other was a book titled, 'A Wind In The Door' By Madeleine L'Engle. Truly that was her secret place, where no one could tarnish her enjoyment, and she could come to relax and forget about her past. The past didn't matter, for as long as she looked to the future, it was her light at the end of the tunnel. It was... Her freedom.  



	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The past... Emotions and all.

"Alex had another nightmare again last night... I can't understand why she won't tell me what she sees in it, I wish I could help her but... I just feel worthless." Dr. Sorensen said miserably, stifling a yawn afterwards.

"Hey, it's not your fault, If she doesn't wanna talk about her past there ain't really nothin' you can do about that..."Nic said, trying to get his boss to cheer up. Dr. Sorensen didn't say anything as they happened to walk by her, save for,

"So... Are you feeling better this morning Alex? Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" He said, attempting yet again unsuccessfully to get her to convey her feelings, but she merely walked right on by them both, apparently heavy in thought. Nic tried changing the conversation to break the tension in the air.

"Well on the bright side I gave one of the vehicles and overhaul for the faster pokegirls... You wanna come with for the test run?" Nic offered giving an odd look at Alex, as though he saw something...

"I... Don't know... Probably if it will help me clear my thoughts but I've got to make one last round before-" Suddenly he was cut off by Nic head locking and noogying his boss.

"C'mon, know you wanna get outta here, it's making you a stick in the mud with all this work!" He joked, letting the doctor go to smooth out his hair. Dr. Sorensen sighed heavily giving it some thought.

"Alright, I'll get someone to manage my rounds, if it will keep you from doing that again..." The doctor said with a grin.

"That's the spirit, come on!" He said, hiding the awful feeling he felt... Something was off with what he saw...  
...

As they got into the vehicle, Dr. Sorensen had changed clothes to a much more casual form of attire and Nic began checking safety measures for the vehicle via various meters and gauges.

"Alright, just to be perfectly clear, this is a test, so no wild dri-aAAAIIIGHEHEIE!" Dr. Sorensen screamed as Nic started and gunned the motor, launching the vehicle forward, pressing both men back into their seats. Dr. Sorensen stopped his shouting once he noticed how much control Nic had over the vehicle.

"Well, I suppose it could be worse, riIIIAAAAAAGHHHAHAHAH! He said, breaking off into excited laughter once they cleared a seven foot jump that bounced the whole off-roader on landing.

"So what type of vehicle is this again?" Dr. Sorensen yelled over the sound of the motor.

"Chevy Silverado, 1988 Model with a 454 Engine, towing and racing class stuff! I LIVE FOR THIS SHIT!" Nic yelled apparently having far too much fun with this already.

"I've got an idea! Let's p[patrol in the forested section for any strays that need our attention, besides we're in a heavily armoured vehicle with all these additions, what's the worst that could-" All of a sudden the sound of something scraping the bottom of the vehicle could be heard and several warning lights came on.

"OH, SHIT!" Nic screamed as he mashed the brake.

"Why aren't we stopping?" Dr. Sorensen screamed.

"THE FUCKIN' BRAKE LINE'S BEEN CUT! WE CAN"T STOP!" Nic shouted in terror as they careened toward the inner part of the forest, the brush line now far behind them. Nic struggled to keep the vehicle from fishtailing against a tree, but in doing so caused the truck to skid along the mud, causing it to go out of control regardless.

"HOLD ON!" Nic managed to shout. As both men watched they slammed right into the base of an old Oak tree, instantly killing the motor and smashing the vehicle's front end completely flat, knocking them both completely unconscious.  
...

Dr. Sorensen woke to a throbbing headache and the sound of cursing and metal being kicked repeatedly.

"GODDAMMIT! I just fuckin' FIXED IT! GRRAAAGGHH!" He heard Nic shout angrily.

"Ooogh, What happened...?" Dr. Sorensen called out as loud as he could manage. The sounds immediately stopped and Nic ran to the side of the vehicle the doctor was on, looking through the now smashed window.

"Oh god... You okay, man?" Nic asked him.

"I've been better... and had worse... So what happened again, I didn't quite catch it amongst the sheer terror i just felt..." Dr. Sorensen joked, physically sore.

"Just felt? You've been out for about three hours, man and I can't move you 'cause you're pinned where you're at, see?" Nic said, opening the door, which fell off its hinges, revealing the dash pinning the doctor to his seat.

"I-I'm not punctured anywhere am I?" He asked frantically.

"If you were, with a crash like that you wouldn't even be talkin' to me right now... Listen, I'm gonna bring back someone that'll get you outta there, so I need to-" Nic started before Dr. Sorensen grabbed his arm.

"NO! I-I mean, you don't know what's in these woods, hell I don't even know! You could be raped, killed or eaten or all three! You have no idea! Plus you can't just leave me!" Dr. Sorensen pleaded.

"Look, it's either me leave or we both stay here until we starve to death, besides... I got eyes in the sky... Look on the bright side, at least I'm leavin' with plenty of daylight left... Just sit tight, I'll be back, I promise." Nic said calmly, as Dr. Sorensen released his arm.

"Please do.. And be careful!" He warned his friend again. Nic didn't say anything as he set out toward the direction they had come from. Unfortunately there wasn't nearly enough daylight left to get little more than halfway back on foot, even following the huge skid marks they had made coming in, and soon it was too dark to even see anything! Fortunately Nic was able to use his one choice Intel; An old communications Satellite produced by Pre-Sukebe Russia that was still operational in Earth's orbit. He immediately used the night vision tracker so he could light his way, but after a while he felt something watching him. As he had the camera zoom out to broaden the field of view, he saw nothing for a good twenty yards around him but he still couldn't shake the feeling that someone had their eyes on him. Suddenly he heard a sudden snap of a small twig, less than ten yards away and immediately he switched to a thermal image scan, suddenly picking up a large heat signature in the direction of the noise, slowly advancing on his position. He ducked behind a nearby tree, noticing a small dugout under the roots, and took his chances there instead of with what was tailing him. He noticed they stopped and began actively searching for him when he noticed they had picked back up on him again, and they were heading right toward him. He heard the noise of branches breaking under the weight of whatever this was and had the scanner he had rigged on the satellite scan the massive creature;

It rang up as a Panthress, Berserker-class.

He immediately thought of running, but knew any way he looked at this situation, he was screwed. By this time, daylight was creeping over the horizon enough for him to see flickers of movement right in front of him, and then... He felt her breathing, smelling the inside of the tree trunk, searching for the scent of her next victim. Just as she was readying to reach in and tear him apart, a far-off sound of a Pre-Sukebe animal could be heard, with a slight difference; Nic recognized the voice itself. Just as the sunlight came from over the treetops, he saw Alex come barging through everything in her path, ready to crush anything standing in her way. She t-boned the Panthress with a horned headbutt, tossing her into the air and swatting her like a fly with her hammer about twenty feet away. The Panthress then landed on all fours and hissed in an unearthly manner. Alex was undaunted as she stood in the way of victim and prey, daring the dark type to come even an inch closer. They stood there eyes locked, staring each other down before the Panthress began slinking off apparently deciding it wasn't worth her time. Alex made sure she was gone, then turning to Nic with a look of pure game face. He saw quite clearly from that angle looking up at her three scratches that ran up and down her left eye, confirming his earlier sighting. Before either of them could say anything, Alex turned and looked in the direction of where Nic had left his boss. Alex turned and bolted, leaving Nic to notice immediately that the Panthress had taken off in that direction as well.

"Oh... Shit..." Nic said, almost afraid to follow, remembering where he'd seen those markings from and as a result, just what Alex was capable of. He began running in that direction, hearing Alex still rushing through the trees, breaking a large path for him to follow. When he got to the scene, he didn't see either of them at first, but noticed the Doctor was missing from his seat. Nic stopped cold, scared stiff quite literally. Someone grabbed him by the shoulder suddenly, reeling him around to reveal the Doctor who pressed a hand to his mouth to keep him from shouting. He motioned for Nic to follow, leading him to peek over the edge of the crashed vehicle, and the scene spread before them; Both Alex and the Panthress were in that lock-on stare, each seeming to dare the other to move. Suddenly the Panthress leaped forward, causing Alex to yet again swat her like a bug, then attempting to flatten her with another swing, but the Panthress rolled and swiped at Alex, causing slightly deep scratches to appear, but Alex was unphased and thrust a hooved foot forward, booting the Panthress a good ten feet away. Immediately she got up on her feet again but Alex was already on top of her, giving the Dark-type no time to react; She brought her hoof down hard on her face, to where it mashed her head into the slightly packed dirt, causing her to spit and yowl in a ferocious tone. This was quelled when Alex not only grabbed her by the shoulders, but rammed her forehead against the Panthress' with considerable force, one, two, three times before the now-dazed Panthress could do more than groan. Alex didn't stop, however, and continued to pummel the downed pokegirl, now trying to run unsuccessfully and ground her hoof down on her tail, where several cracks and crunches could be heard. The Panthress' body could finally take no more and she submitted to unconsciousness. But Alex still didn't stop... She raised her hammer up high above her head, ready to bring the rain on the Panthress, ready to do the unthinkable. Before she could deliver the final blow however, Dr. Sorensen stepped in front of the Dark-type, causing Alex to stop dead in her tracks. The hammer slipped from her grip, falling behind her and causing her to fall with it. Her eyes welled up with tears and she began sobbing uncontrollably, mumbling over and over,

"Bad... Bad, it's bad... Bad thing... B-bad..." She stammered, obviously having another episode. Dr. Sorensen reached into his pocket and pulled out a medicinal administration gun that acted as a syringe of sorts, and gave Alex a decent dose of it to help calm her down via sedation.

"Geez, I... I have NEVER, in all my years... seen someone go down... that hard..." Nic said, remembering all too well what she had done back when Alex was stuck as an illegal fighting competitor. She did much worse things than this in those days, but she didn't even use her specials that Nic saw... As she started to stop crying from the effects of the drug taking place, Dr. Sorensen calmly went to sit next to her despite the mud and muck on the ground. As they both stared at the rising sun, Nic walked over to the Panthress and took out a Master Ball, and tapped it against the Panthress' body, trapping her inside.

*Sigh* "Well that's the end o' that..." Nic said, to which Dr. Sorensen said,

"Why didn't you use that earlier?" He said in a tired voice.

"I wasn't sure I would be able to actually hit'er..." Nic replied, tired as well.

"Well, at least we're still here..." Nic said as they all waited for Alex to come round.  



	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: ATLAS, The mover of planets, and Fio's coping habits.

"I don't like it any more than you do Nic, but something's got to give on the shower beatings because they don't have any kind of security in there!" That had been what Dr. Sorensen said about installing cameras in the community shower room. Nic had been against the idea, even when the Doctor had shown him the records of what exactly had been happening in the last month alone.

"Fifteen different cases, almost all of them drawing blood in fights and gang-ups on multiple types of pokegirl here, I said it had to be done, I didn't say I liked the idea but it's for their own safety..." Finally Nic had given in to the Doctor's orders, mainly to keep everything safe and halfway sane around Bramble View. At the moment, Nic was using the security in there to further confirm what he had seen not only in the woods the day before, but also in Alex's eye; The scar. She was currently showering and his focus was zeroed in on her scar. There was no doubt in his mind this was Atlas, as she had been called back in the day. After she got out he briefly paged her on the radio system they had given all the staff to get her where he could discuss a few questions he had. As she walked in she obviously didn't suspect anything. At least not until he motioned for her to sit in the giant armchair from her lessons. He then did something she didn't expect, as he pressed the door switch for the security room, locking them inside with no way out until the switch was pressed again. Her grip tightened on the armrests of the chair as she seemed to try to squirm deeper into the cushions. Nic turned and began playing what little footage he had kept of her fights, at least the least brutal ones. Then he showed the shower footage of her facial scar and said,

"You wanna explain to me what's goin' on, Atlas?" He said calmly.

"What do you want...?" She said quietly, fearing the worst.

"I just wanna know how you wound up here, that's all... I've been worried about what had happened to you for twelve years now, never sure if you were even still alive, but then again that's a relative term..." Nic said, keeping with the same quiet, calm tone so as not to spook her further. She turned the chair to slightly face away from him and placed her legs up on the cushion in a fetal position, completely unsure if what he was saying was true, that he really had worried about her. Her mind began to drift back to the fateful day that her first (and at that time only) friend had been smashed by her own attack.

"Everything was going to be okay... We were going to leave and not have to be slaves meant for fighting... Killing..." She mumbled, shuddering at the last word as if it chilled her to the bone. Her head sunk between her knees as she started to cry, trembling all the while.

"Hannah would've wanted you alive, even if she wouldn't have made it herself... I'm sure she understands it was a mistake that you couldn't keep from happening, but here's the thing..." He said pausing to make sure she was listening.

"Sooner or later you're gonna have to tell Dr. Sorensen about this, it's not good to have kept it to yourself this long, remember what happened with the Panthress last night? You might get carried away again, 'cause that's what happens when you keep things like this bottled up so long..." He said, expressing deep concern. Suddenly it occurred to her she had heard this voice before, from somewhere at the ring...

"Mr. Security...? Is it you...?" She said, calling him by that same name as she had all those years ago.

"Who do you think had the guy beat up that told his psychic type to pull that cheap trick? That wasn't even fair in a fight like the one you were in, no way in hell..." He said, further proving to her he was who he said he was.

'You made the camera say 'yes' when it was okay to use the bad moves, and 'no' when it wasn't... I always knew you'd keep me safe, whatever choice you made..." She said, referring of course to the ability he possessed, making the camera nod 'yes' or shake 'no' in order to let her know the time was right to use her specials.

"I can't tell Doctor because I don't know what he would think... He might not like me after I tell him I killed people..." She said, her voice thick with worry and insecurity.

"Even if he had known, all he would've made him do is try to help you get through that whole mess even more, I'm sure of it... I'm not gonna be the one to tell him, don't worry about that, but sooner or later he's gonna find out... That's all I'm sayin'." He said, trying to comfort her with the fact that he wouldn't spill the beans to Dr. Sorensen. He reached over and tapped the button to open the door, allowing her to leave as quietly as she had when she came in. He breathed a sigh as he pulled his cap over his eyes and began to sleep. It had been quite a day already, and it was only still morning.  
...

Dr. Sorensen eventually stopped at Fio's room given that he had something to surprise her with. As he walked in he saw she was asleep, but no sooner had he turned to walk out did he hear her stir in her sleep, crying softly. He couldn't help but walk over and listen to her mumbling.

"Why... They're gone... Why didn't I listen...?" She said, obviously talking about her attitude that had led all her previous Tamers to their ultimate demise. Suddenly as Dr. Sorensen leaned over to her she snapped awake and somehow pulled out a revolver and placed it to his head, causing him to freeze in place. She immediately dropped the weapon upon realizing what she had done, placing it under her pillow where she apparently had pulled it out from.

"Fio, Shhh, shhh it's okay... it's okay it was just a dream..." He said as she grabbed him tightly, crying on his shoulder.

"They're all gone... *Sniff* I didn't protect them... I didn't care, just because I thought they were going to be okay anyway... I'm a broken bunny Dr. Marx, I'm stupid... So stupid..." She said, gripping him closely, angered at her past inactions.

"You're not stupid, Fio... You're just going through a lot of pain, and I told you the day you came here that I wouldn't rest until you were able to walk out the front doors of this place with a healed heart and a smile on your face, remember?" He said encouragingly. She sniffed back some leakage a few more times and wiped her nose on her sleeve. He then called to someone outside to bring in something for her, and one of the staff members brought in a flat, but wide white box.

"What's that?" Fio asked, curious if it was a gift for her from him.

"New clothes, you see Fio I figured the best way to bring you around was to cater to your basic needs... Nic requested your help on security, and he thinks you might have a few new ideas for security in mind... would you care to take a look?" He asked her hopefully, praying to whatever god there was she wouldn't reject another attempt to get her out of her room for the first time since 5 years ago. She stared at him for a second before holding her hands out for the box, carefully taking it and unwrapping it, finding inside a business suit that she immediately recognized the design of.

"You got me the top brand of hitman's suits...?" She squeaked, displaying a vast amount of interest at the neatly pressed and dry-cleaned black uniform, complete with red and white candy cane striped necktie.

"Is it okay? I got it so you wouldn't look like you're in prison when you're walking around to view all the new security... Do you like it?" Dr. Sorensen asked her. She immediately gave him a big bunny hug and shooed the men out to try on the new present. After a few moments, she knocked on the door to be let out, and what the Staff member and Dr. Sorensen saw was a complete stark contrast to her timid, meek and sad manner from before; The colour was starting to return to her face already and she was actually walking out the door on her own, without being forced to! She stood a little awkwardly, as she hadn't exercised, let alone flexed her legs much since her arrival. She was also wearing a pair of sunshades that had come complimentary with the suit, giving the eerie impression she knew exactly what she was doing.

"First off Dr. Marx, I'm rusty, so are my guns, so I'm gonna need a little time at that Gun Range I've heard tell of... Sound good, doc?" She said, taking a cigar and lighting it, taking a few puffs to get it lit properly, afterward pinching out the match's flame with a licked thumb and forefinger.

"You heard the lady, Jim, Let's get her fixed up good and proper!" Dr. Sorensen said, displaying his keen interest to see just how good she still was. He knew that she was still coping, but in the meantime this would help her to do so.

"Therapy through violence, who would've thought it could be done?" He thought to himself with a smile, though one nowhere near as big as Fio's.  
Chapter 9: ATLAS, The mover of planets, and Fio's coping habits.

"I don't like it any more than you do Nic, but something's got to give on the shower beatings because they don't have any kind of security in there!" That had been what Dr. Sorensen said about installing cameras in the community shower room. Nic had been against the idea, even when the Doctor had shown him the records of what exactly had been happening in the last month alone.

"Fifteen different cases, almost all of them drawing blood in fights and gang-ups on multiple types of pokegirl here, I said it had to be done, I didn't say I liked the idea but it's for their own safety..." Finally Nic had given in to the Doctor's orders, mainly to keep everything safe and halfway sane around Bramble View. At the moment, Nic was using the security in there to further confirm what he had seen not only in the woods the day before, but also in Alex's eye; The scar. She was currently showering and his focus was zeroed in on her scar. There was no doubt in his mind this was Atlas, as she had been called back in the day. After she got out he briefly paged her on the radio system they had given all the staff to get her where he could discuss a few questions he had. As she walked in she obviously didn't suspect anything. At least not until he motioned for her to sit in the giant armchair from her lessons. He then did something she didn't expect, as he pressed the door switch for the security room, locking them inside with no way out until the switch was pressed again. Her grip tightened on the armrests of the chair as she seemed to try to squirm deeper into the cushions. Nic turned and began playing what little footage he had kept of her fights, at least the least brutal ones. Then he showed the shower footage of her facial scar and said,

"You wanna explain to me what's goin' on, Atlas?" He said calmly.

"What do you want...?" She said quietly, fearing the worst.

"I just wanna know how you wound up here, that's all... I've been worried about what had happened to you for twelve years now, never sure if you were even still alive, but then again that's a relative term..." Nic said, keeping with the same quiet, calm tone so as not to spook her further. She turned the chair to slightly face away from him and placed her legs up on the cushion in a fetal position, completely unsure if what he was saying was true, that he really had worried about her. Her mind began to drift back to the fateful day that her first (and at that time only) friend had been smashed by her own attack.

"Everything was going to be okay... We were going to leave and not have to be slaves meant for fighting... Killing..." She mumbled, shuddering at the last word as if it chilled her to the bone. Her head sunk between her knees as she started to cry, trembling all the while.

"Hannah would've wanted you alive, even if she wouldn't have made it herself... I'm sure she understands it was a mistake that you couldn't keep from happening, but here's the thing..." He said pausing to make sure she was listening.

"Sooner or later you're gonna have to tell Dr. Sorensen about this, it's not good to have kept it to yourself this long, remember what happened with the Panthress last night? You might get carried away again, 'cause that's what happens when you keep things like this bottled up so long..." He said, expressing deep concern. Suddenly it occurred to her she had heard this voice before, from somewhere at the ring...

"Mr. Security...? Is it you...?" She said, calling him by that same name as she had all those years ago.

"Who do you think had the guy beat up that told his psychic type to pull that cheap trick? That wasn't even fair in a fight like the one you were in, no way in hell..." He said, further proving to her he was who he said he was.

'You made the camera say 'yes' when it was okay to use the bad moves, and 'no' when it wasn't... I always knew you'd keep me safe, whatever choice you made..." She said, referring of course to the ability he possessed, making the camera nod 'yes' or shake 'no' in order to let her know the time was right to use her specials.

"I can't tell Doctor because I don't know what he would think... He might not like me after I tell him I killed people..." She said, her voice thick with worry and insecurity.

"Even if he had known, all he would've made him do is try to help you get through that whole mess even more, I'm sure of it... I'm not gonna be the one to tell him, don't worry about that, but sooner or later he's gonna find out... That's all I'm sayin'." He said, trying to comfort her with the fact that he wouldn't spill the beans to Dr. Sorensen. He reached over and tapped the button to open the door, allowing her to leave as quietly as she had when she came in. He breathed a sigh as he pulled his cap over his eyes and began to sleep. It had been quite a day already, and it was only still morning.  
...

Dr. Sorensen eventually stopped at Fio's room given that he had something to surprise her with. As he walked in he saw she was asleep, but no sooner had he turned to walk out did he hear her stir in her sleep, crying softly. He couldn't help but walk over and listen to her mumbling.

"Why... They're gone... Why didn't I listen...?" She said, obviously talking about her attitude that had led all her previous Tamers to their ultimate demise. Suddenly as Dr. Sorensen leaned over to her she snapped awake and somehow pulled out a revolver and placed it to his head, causing him to freeze in place. She immediately dropped the weapon upon realizing what she had done, placing it under her pillow where she apparently had pulled it out from.

"Fio, Shhh, shhh it's okay... it's okay it was just a dream..." He said as she grabbed him tightly, crying on his shoulder.

"They're all gone... *Sniff* I didn't protect them... I didn't care, just because I thought they were going to be okay anyway... I'm a broken bunny Dr. Marx, I'm stupid... So stupid..." She said, gripping him closely, angered at her past inactions.

"You're not stupid, Fio... You're just going through a lot of pain, and I told you the day you came here that I wouldn't rest until you were able to walk out the front doors of this place with a healed heart and a smile on your face, remember?" He said encouragingly. She sniffed back some leakage a few more times and wiped her nose on her sleeve. He then called to someone outside to bring in something for her, and one of the staff members brought in a flat, but wide white box.

"What's that?" Fio asked, curious if it was a gift for her from him.

"New clothes, you see Fio I figured the best way to bring you around was to cater to your basic needs... Nic requested your help on security, and he thinks you might have a few new ideas for security in mind... would you care to take a look?" He asked her hopefully, praying to whatever god there was she wouldn't reject another attempt to get her out of her room for the first time since 5 years ago. She stared at him for a second before holding her hands out for the box, carefully taking it and unwrapping it, finding inside a business suit that she immediately recognized the design of.

"You got me the top brand of hitman's suits...?" She squeaked, displaying a vast amount of interest at the neatly pressed and dry-cleaned black uniform, complete with red and white candy cane striped necktie.

"Is it okay? I got it so you wouldn't look like you're in prison when you're walking around to view all the new security... Do you like it?" Dr. Sorensen asked her. She immediately gave him a big bunny hug and shooed the men out to try on the new present. After a few moments, she knocked on the door to be let out, and what the Staff member and Dr. Sorensen saw was a complete stark contrast to her timid, meek and sad manner from before; The colour was starting to return to her face already and she was actually walking out the door on her own, without being forced to! She stood a little awkwardly, as she hadn't exercised, let alone flexed her legs much since her arrival. She was also wearing a pair of sunshades that had come complimentary with the suit, giving the eerie impression she knew exactly what she was doing.

"First off Dr. Marx, I'm rusty, so are my guns, so I'm gonna need a little time at that Gun Range I've heard tell of... Sound good, doc?" She said, taking a cigar and lighting it, taking a few puffs to get it lit properly, afterward pinching out the match's flame with a licked thumb and forefinger.

"You heard the lady, Jim, Let's get her fixed up good and proper!" Dr. Sorensen said, displaying his keen interest to see just how good she still was. He knew that she was still coping, but in the meantime this would help her to do so.

"Therapy through violence, who would've thought it could be done?" He thought to himself with a smile, though one nowhere near as big as Fio's.  



	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Coping Skills, Anger Management and Legal Issues.

Fio walked rather confidently into the shooting range, without saying so much as a word as to just how out of practice she may or may not have been. Nic was already there and had set up the targets to maximum moving difficulty, in order to test Fio to the fullest. They both noticed as she leveled her weapon at the targets, she seemed to draw in a fair amount of breath and let it out slowly, allowing the smoke from her cigar to settle in a cloud in front of her face. Suddenly she let loose with a volley of 13mm rounds , tearing all the targets to shreds, expertly popping in another clip as soon as the first was expended taking a max of three seconds to fully reload and begin again. As suddenly as it had started, she had unloaded two clips worth of ammunition, all before the smoke in front of her had dissipated completely without missing so much as a beat. She walked out into the area where the targets were and frowned at an apparent mistake; All the targets but one had been shredded at the neck, tearing off anything below that area, but on was clinging on by a mere thread of cardboard, which she promptly cut expertly with a switchblade making sure to carefully pocket said item afterward.

"Fio, where did you get all those weapons and ammunition? Let alone the switchblade..." Dr. Sorensen asked confused.

"If I knew that then I'd tell ya, but she's got way too many hiding places in that room of hers, it's got more ammo and guns and stuff than this place used to have when it was an army base..." Nic said in a passing manner as he was typing on his 'dex with a stylus.

"What do you mean? You knew she had weapons in her room, and yet you let her keep them? She could've hurt someone!" Dr. Sorensen practically shouted. Suddenly Fio came up next to him and stood silently next to him, giving the Doctor a naturally uneasy feeling. Suddenly she whipped her foot under him, tripping him as she caught him in her arms, giving him a passionate kiss on the lips, completely catching him off-guard. As she let go, she gave him an innocent smile and replied,

"Oh, Doctor Marx you're funny, why would I hurt anyone? Besides, you're too nice to hurt in my books, you've done nothing but do favors for me, I've gotta repay you... Somehow..." She said, batting her eyes at him slyly, causing his face to turn beet red.

"Uhm... Nic I'm going to be busy for... awhile, let's say..." Dr. Sorensen said, completely upended at Fio's massive turnaround that had seemingly come out of nowhere, Of course then again, he hadn't ever really thought of doing something this drastic before either... Nic merely;y waved 'goodbye' as his boss allowed Fio to cart him off to parts unknown, making sure the preparations he had set up were ready.

*Sigh*" Well, if the cops want me to prove I can handle havin' a Panthress, so be it, just hope they're ready for the shock of their lives..." He said with a grin. He got up and began walking to the front gate to prepare for the authorities that would no doubt be in vast disbelief at his accomplishment.  
...

"So, tell us one more time... How exactly in the HELL did this happen?" Said one of the officers accompanying him down the hallway toward the Panthress' holding cell.

"Well, for one thing she didn't really have any fightin' experience, she was only level 32 and besides that, she was goin' up against someone she simply couldn't have handled..." Nic said, hoping they wouldn't press that issue. Sure enough they were more interested in the situation at hand, and as he led them up to her door they could hear muffled growls as he opened the eye slat for them to peer inside. There she was, tied down to a metal table, clearly unable to move as she would have done so long ago if she could. She still looked a little dazed from some kind of tranquilizer, somehow still affecting her.

"Are you sure you wanna try to take'er? Under the jurisdiction I have under my boss, she's fair game for a rehabilitation attempt, so unless you really feel like trying to round her up..." Nic said, trailing off at the last part.

"Uhm... We'll see what we can do, but it'll... Be awhile... Yeah..."The Officer Jenny amongst them said, obviously lying through her teeth about even getting anywhere near the fiend-type pokegirl. Nic merely shrugged and closed the slat, causing the Panthress within to begin roaring as best she could with a ball-gag and muzzle in and around her mouth, respectively. HE walked them back to their cars without anyone saying a word. As they pulled out toward the outer gate, he checked on what they were saying through the camera just to confirm what he already knew.

"I am NOT goin' back there... Screw... That." He heard one of them say briefly before practically flooring it past the exit. He grinned as he headed back to her cell, knowing exactly what to do as he opened the door to her cell. She immediately began attempting a low growl upon the mere scent and sight of him, which failed utterly and sounded more like a kitten attempting to sound intimidating. He soon noticed the stench of death, prior meals and all around funk due to her probably never properly bathing. Not to mention that her hair was a generally tangled mess. He quickly decided that she indeed needed a cleaning, and reached for the nearby shower head in the room's bathroom stall. Unfortunately it was too short and he needed to get cleaning supplies anyway, so he opted to quickly leave and get some of the heavy-duty cleaning shampoo that Alex always used. When he got back he put the new, longer hose that he gotten onto the main spout and reached it over to her and began testing the temperature. When he finally was satisfied, he began rinsing her down, causing her to fly into a rage at the mere thought that he even dared to touch her, let alone be this familiar. However she began to slightly relax from the feeling of warm water on her fur, as she had never felt anything quite this good in a while. This allowed him to begin scrubbing her down with a textured and bristled mitt, which only further served to quiet her. It was at this point she simply could not resist the urge to begin purring, his hands felt good, scratching her skin underneath her fur that had been itching in places she had previously been unable to reach. She began to stretch as best she could in her tied down state, scratching the metal table underneath her claws quite a bit. She jumped suddenly as he began to try to scrub her underbelly, not expecting him to touch her sensitive spot, and she tried to crush his hand under her weight unsuccessfully as she was too slow on the draw to do so. Finally he got done scrubbing her down and rinsed her thoroughly, sending more waves of feeling down her body. he took a small army of towels and began drying her off, paying special attention to her ears and eyes and she stared at him as though unsure of his true intentions. As he smiled at her he said,

"Well look at that, under all that mess was the cutest darn kitty I've seen in awhile... Don't that beat all, you just needed some tending to, and a lotta TLC, and in the end you're all gussied up and a sight to these eyes..." He said in an honest tone, pushing his hat up from his eyes. In her feral state she could only barely grasp the concept of what he was saying, but it wasn't a hateful or even fearful tone... It was like he wasn't afraid of her at all... Though confusing, she still didn't trust his intentions to be wholehearted. He soon turned to leave, but heard her whine as though she didn't want him to go, straining against the chains ever so slightly to give that impression. He didn't know what she wanted until he smelled the air, now heavy with pheromones. He had been twirling his hat in his hand before then, but it promptly stopped and fell to the floor, still draining the water from the drain hole in the center of it. He walked cautiously up to her, with the words,

"You gonna play nice if I take the stuff off your face? One tiny growl and it's goin' back on..." He said in a stern but respectful manner. She just stared at him with her amber coloured eyes, unblinking, undaunted. he reached around the side of her head and undid the strap for the muzzle, pulling it off her mouth carefully. She didn't move other than to allow him to pull it off, and he noticed she started purring again, a deep rumbling noise that reverberated throughout the entire room. she began gnawing slightly at the ball gag, unable to break it due to the metal alloy it was fashioned from.

"I'll keep that one on for now, till I know you're not gonna bite my hand off, 'k?" He said, keeping with that same tone, as he walked around behind her, her haunches twitching expectantly. He knew this was going to be a big job, and not just the one he currently had to deal with, but he knew that from this moment on, he would be the one to take on her case personally.  
...

It was some time later before Nic and his boss met up again, both appearing extremely tired to the other, but also extremely happy. They soon both headed to his office to converse what exactly what going to happen with the new patient that Nic was to take care of.

"You do realize that I can't allow myself to get involved with this, right?" Dr. Sorensen said quite bluntly.

"Yeh, but I'm willing to accept the consequences should somethin' go wrong... Besides, when has my judgment steered you wrong?" Nic asked with a tired grin.

"Granted... Alright, let's discuss this further in the morning, I need some sleep, I can't stay awake anymore, Good night." Dr. Sorensen said, stretching out on his cot he had been sitting on, leaving Nic to say one last parting development;

"By the way, your money problems should be over with this case, She's worth over 2,000,000 SLC for being rehabilitated, and over 300,000 for capture and successful taming alone... Just thought you should know, g'night." He said, leaving Dr. Sorensen to stare after him in amazement. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Berserker babe and the compensation sword, Jetta.

"Say boss, I've got a question for ya... Is this place an independent or do you get funding through the Johto league?" Nic asked abruptly, causing Todd to choke slightly on his cup of ramen.

"Uhm, well... It's a personal reason but this facility is largely an independent..." Todd explained briefly, sticking to slim details.

"Wow, and this place has been around for fourteen years now? That's pretty impressive... How'd you do it?" Nic pressed, truly interested.

"Well, I have Maddy to thank for the most part, in fact she's the main reason I don't lose my mind over financial reports, I never knew she could crunch such numbers..." He said, smiling at said March Hare who was too involved with her work at the moment to notice she was being talked about.

"One more thing... Why didn't you let me put security in the lower level, namely what the staff calls 'h-ward'? Sounds erotic to say the least..." Nic joked as he saw a grim look overtake his boss' face.

"I'll only tell you once, don't go down there if you want to come back with your sanity intact... Understood?" He said in a severely creeped out tone.

"Why, you scared of the place that much?" Nic joked, yet unsure of what Todd was referring to.

"Just... Trust me on this, PLEASE don't go down there, it's a complete madhouse... I don't even go down there unless I have to, and even then One of the staff has to go for me, the cleaning supplies are down there as it's the only place to hold them, but I digress... I don't want you poking around in there unless you feel like having your sanity take a leave of absence for the remainder of your natural life..." Todd warned in a no-nonsense tone.

"Wait, why are you so afraid of... oooohh, I get it... I was wondering what was down there, ghost types, right?" Nic said as suddenly he felt as though someone or something just walked over his grave.

"You feel that chill up your spine yet, Nic? I'm warning you as a friend, DON'T go down there... You'll just disturb them." Todd said grimly as the feeling subsided from Nic's mind.

"Fine, got it boss..." Nic said, curious yet fearful of what he'd just experienced.

"Moving on to other matters, I get the feeling that Kat is due for another escape attempt, she always tries every few weeks to reclaim her blade though she's yet to succeed in fleeing the grounds..." Todd said, changing the subject abruptly.

"You mean the Berserker in the high-security threat ward? What's her backstory again?" Nic inquired.

"She turned to an odd habit for her type, utilizing performance-enhancing drugs and chemicals to 'better herself' as she put it, though in the end it weakened her... It all stemmed from a high amount of insecurity in herself for an unknown reason." Todd explained.

"Geez, I can't believe that stuff is still around... Just goes to show you the infinite stupidity of some people, I guess." Nic quipped.

"Indeed, but in any case be on standby for when she pulls another escape attempt, even moreso afterward..." Todd said with an anxious look on his face.

"Why's that? Seems to me she's gonna be too out of it with my security after to do anything..." Nic joked.

"Ever hear tell of the phrase, 'Fuck like Bunnygirls?' She becomes extremely aroused after a fight despite losing, and sometimes she's broken a few bones if you catch my drift..." Dr. Sorensen said with a sick look, obviously using a double meaning.

"Yikes... Alright, so what happens if that goes down?" Nic asked, hoping for an optimistic answer.

"We pray the damage isn't too severe..." Todd said with zero humor.

"Well aren't you hopeful..." Nic said sarcastically. Suddenly the building came alive with the sounds of walls being crushed open, with a female voice screaming for her sword.

"Like clockwork, never a dull moment..." Todd said, donning a hard hat from under his desk, grabbing a hidden Tranquilizer gun from the same area.

"Ready to do a little Berserker hunting?" Todd said with an actually eager smile.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Nic said with a huge grin. As the two men peered carefully out into the mess they noticed the damage, though noisy, was minimal.

"She's not too destructive is she... Damn noisy though..." Nic said quietly as he walked out into the debris chipped off the wall.

"She's about a minute away from where that sword of hers is stored... We won't get there in time, but she's got a surprise coming her way, trust me..." Nic said with a glint in his eye.

"What did you do?" Todd asked him with a similar smile.

"Remember me sayin' I ordered somethin' to help with heavy duty construction from my old job with the military?" Nic said gleefully as the sounds of something big and heavy could be heard lumbering around in the general direction of the Berserker Pokegirl.

"Let's go see what the load lifter suit caught, shall we doc?" Nic said with the tranquilizer gun slung over his shoulder in an epic pose. As they made their way to the scene, they saw Kat still trying to get her sword, which had been carefully bolted to the support structure inside the wall it had been mounted on, along with several 3-inch thick metal straps around it, also bolted to several more pieces of metal. She was unable to do little more than tug hopelessly at the bindings on her weapon. Suddenly she heard the two men approaching and grabbed a sizable chunk of wall-debris, which she chucked at the two men's heads in rage.

"Get away from my blade! You have no right to do this to Jetta!" She said in an Edo League accent. She quickly picked up another piece of wall to throw, but Nic quickly and effortlessly popped a tranquilizer round in her shoulder. The effects were quick to take hold, but she continued to fight them, wildly throwing more rubble in their general direction but aiming terribly. She had just picked up one last piece before she dropped like a sack of bricks at the foot of the men, hand in an outstretched position as if to say, 'I'll get you for this... one day.'

"How often did you say this happens? This was kinda fun, though just a little short-lived, the construction unit couldn't even get here in time to deal with her..." Nic said as suddenly a large exosuit tromped around the corner to look at the situation.

"You're late James... Get'er back to her room and make sure to redo the straps..." Nic said, obviously talking to someone inside the suit.

"Righto, I'll see what I can do..." Someone inside said in a cockney accent.

"Nic, what the heck is this thing, might I ask?" Todd said amazed at the sight of the suit.

"Long story short, I made it, technically speaking... The blueprints anyway, so yeah I got to keep the prototype, cool huh?" Nic said with pride.

"Wanna learn how to use it?" Nic said with a grin to Todd, who had a look like a kid at Christmas on his face.

"Let's get Kat back to her quarters first, then we'll talk..." Todd said before James picked her up and began lumbering off toward her room. 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The H-Ward, Insanity lives again.

Dr. Sorensen woke up sitting bolt upright with a frightened shout, his pillow drenched with sweat as his heart pounded in his ears.

"Dear... God... 'That' dream again, good lord..." He said, referring to his only recurring dream, now more than twenty years old. Suddenly the door to his office flew open, sending him sprawling head first under his desk, only to see Nic and Alex there seeing what was wrong with the good doctor.

"Doc, you okay? Your heart rate was off the charts..." Nic asked in a concerned tone while Alex walked over to Todd and sat him in her lap to try and comfort him.

"It's nothing you need concern yourself with, I'll be fine..." He said in a shaky voice.

"So something is wrong... c'mon, spill it doc what's eatin' ya?" Nic pressed, intent on dragging it out of his boss, who clenched his jaw in anxious nervousness. He stayed silent for awhile before saying anything.

"Alright, alright... I of all people should know better than to try and bottle things up for as long as I have, but I've GOT to tell someone or I'll lose it..." He said, his breath almost catching as he talked.

"22 years ago, I was on an expedition to the Dark Continent, trying to find cases that I could work with, albeit it was a fool's errand... My team of 14 members plus myself made the mistake of camping out on the plains, as we had set up many a precaution to deter any would-be attackers in the form of dark type Pokegirls... Or so we believed." He said, his face screwing up in remembrance.

"Athena was my starter at the time, and she wasn't like she is now... She had a lovely personality, but what happened that night changed everything, including her... The camp was razed by a blaze of some kind of black fire, afterward anyone not outright burnt to cinders were eaten alive by a nearby horde of Zombabes, attracted by the enticing smell of burning flesh... Athena lost it entirely and began slaughtering them all, afterwards winding up as how you see her today... I found the nearest medical case large enough to hide in and stayed put until I was sure I heard nothing but the horrid sound of dead silence..." He said, a few tears rolling down his cheeks at the memory.

"When I finally came out of that case, what I saw... I can't even begin to describe the destruction Athena had caused by herself, let alone on the group of attacking Pokegirls, now nothing more than cinders themselves... after I came back to the Johto league via finding a nearby village which somehow had a phone, I called for a rescue party which eventually came, but not quickly enough in my opinion... I wanted to get away from the sight I had been forced to witness, feeling like a coward for not trying to help my team... Athena was the main reason I decided to open Bramble view, because I knew at that moment there were people that needed my help, people that had gone through events and encounters they didn't enjoy remembering... But no matter what I've tried, she still won't... or can't... respond to anything I do... It makes me feel completely useless when I can't even help the one I'm closest to... I can't imagine what she had to endure that night, and to be honest I'm honestly afraid to try, but I refuse to stop helping these girls, even If Bramble View itself is gone." Todd Said, his voice becoming braver by that last comment.

"Is that why you're afraid of the H-Ward?" Nic asked abruptly, causing Dr. Sorensen's head to lift sharply. The Doctor didn't respond as he seemed to stare past, no, right through Nic in deep thought.

"I thought so... look, in my opinion you need to see to EVERYONE'S needs here at Bramble View, isn't that what you just said yourself?" Nic said encouragingly.

"I... I can't... go down there..." Todd said in a hushed whisper, fear choking his words in an icy grip.

"Why? You can't let this keep you from doing your job, boss..." Nic said firmly, obviously becoming agitated with Dr. Sorensen's attitude.

"I guess I should tell you... I've been down there several times already, and I'm still breathin' aren't I?" Nic said in a sarcastic tone. Suddenly Dr. Sorensen got an extremely irritated look.

"I told you NOT to go down there! What if they tried something harmful?" Dr. Sorensen squeaked in a failed attempt to be angry.

"Listen to me, cut the bullshit and follow me, or I'll tell you what: I'll quit and take all my shit with me, how's that sound?" Nic threatened, sending Dr. Sorensen in a flurry of mixed emotions.

"You're not leavin' me with a whole lotta options doc, it's not somethin' I'd rather do either... I'll be with you the whole time, Alex can come too if you want, sound fair?" Nic said, trying to get Todd to go along with this. Dr. Sorensen swallowed hard, but finally nodded without a word. As they walked down his least favorite hall, Todd could feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck as they approached what would have looked like to anyone else a normal door. To Todd however, it was the gateway to hell. He nervously took his keys off his retractable belt cord, suddenly saying,

"Oh, would you look at that I forgot the key in my office, well it's getting late I'd better get back to... EEP!" He said as he tried to walk away when Nic grabbed the back of his shirt collar with the words,

"Let's use mine then, alright?" He said as Todd heard the lock turn in place, sliding aside the last barrier between him and the H-Ward. Nic opened the door to reveal a bare hallway, with nothing happening and no movement, dragging the doctor in behind him and locking the door back as they entered. Todd's eyes flickered across the well lit hallway, nervously expecting something to pop out and eat his face off, when suddenly the light at the end of the hall flickered off and then on again to reveal a figure in some kind of old style dress.

"H-hello...?" Todd squeaked, when Nic whapped him upside the head with the words,

"Her name's Nancy, all she ever wanted was someone to talk to, though to be honest she doesn't wanna seem to ever stop..." Nic said mumbling the last part. Suddenly 'Nancy' was right there between them, sending Todd up against the wall in cringing terror. As he got a good look however, he noticed she was a Bardess in some kind of party dress, obviously from some ancient time, but she didn't seem angry or threatening, just very lonely... Todd's mind began to finally chug to, life again as he cleared his throat to get her attention, saying,

"Hi erm, Nacy, was it? My name is-" He started to say when she cut him off with,

"Hello Dr. Todd, Sheila's told us much about you..." She said in a soft, calm tone of voice, looking up at him with a sense of nostalgia about something.

"Sheila? Oh, right, Sheila... I was wondering what had become of her lately, I haven't had any pranks pulled on me for weeks now..." He said, suddenly feeling someone giving him a comfortable shoulder rub.

"I'm right here, doctor... And boy do I need a check-up alright..." He heard a sultry female voice say from behind him, causing him to spin around 180 and see Sheila, dressed in some kind of skimpy nurse outfit. Needless to say, Todd couldn't speak for the next thirty seconds as Nic snickered behind his back.

"See, this is what you were afraid of boss, a buncha folks down here lonely and bored without anyone to keep'em company, in one way or another..." Nic said, finally busting out laughing, which apparently woke some of the other 'residents' of the H-Ward, who upon seeing what the commotion was about merely turned back around and seemed to phase back through the walls, despite having no doors in said hall.

"So what'll it be doc, you still need us down here or are you good for now?" Nic asked while Todd wrenched his gaze from Sheila to respond.

*ahem* "Yes, that's all... If you could make some coffee, there should be a few packs left in my desk drawer..." Todd instructed Nic.

"But it's 1 am..." Nic said.

"I'm going to be down here for a few hours, I've got to apologize for my actions personally, so..." Todd said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Alright, one cup o' Joe comin' right up..." Nic said as he walked out through the H-Ward door back to the land of the living with Alex following close behind. As he closed the door but not locked it to let his boss out when he needed to, he noticed Alex seemed to walk stiffly by him...

"Alex? You okay...?" Nic asked as he saw a look of terror on her face.

"That place IS scary... Don't make me go back, okay...?" She pleaded nervously, leaving Nic to facepalm with the words,

"Good Lord help us all..." 


End file.
